bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Does a Coeliac School increase psychological well‐being in women suffering from coeliac disease, living on a gluten‐free diet?
Authors: Ring Jacobsson Lisa , Friedrichsen Maria , Göransson Anne , Hallert Claes
Published: November 2011

Aim and objective.  To assess the effects of an active method of patient education on the psychological well‐being of women with coeliac disease in remission.

Background.  Despite remission with a gluten‐free diet, adults with coeliac disease and especially women experience a subjective poor health. Self‐management education seems to be promising tool to help patients suffering from coeliac disease to cope with their disorder.

Design.  A randomised controlled trial.

Methods.  A total of 106 women, ≥20 years, with confirmed coeliac disease, who had been on a gluten‐free diet for a minimum of five years. The intervention group (n = 54) underwent a 10‐session educational programme, ‘Coeliac School’, based on problem‐based learning. The controls (n = 52) received information regarding coeliac disease sent home on a regular basis. The primary outcomes were psychological general well‐being measured with a validated questionnaire.

Results.  Participants in the Coeliac School reported a significant improvement in psychological well‐being at 10 weeks, whereas the controls given usual care reported a worsening in psychological well‐being. After six months, a significant improvement remained for the index of vitality.

Conclusions.  Patient education increased psychological well‐being in women with coeliac disease. There is a need to refine the methods of patient education to make the effects of well‐being more pronounced over time.

Relevance to clinical practice.  Patient education using problem‐based learning promotes self‐management in coeliac disease by improving the well‐being of patients who have been struggling with the gluten‐free diet for years.
Molecular characterization and potential sources ofCitrus tristeza virusin Oman
Authors: Al‐Sadi A. M. , Al‐Hilali S. A. , Al‐Yahyai R. A. , Al‐Said F. A. , Deadman M. L. , Al‐Mahmooli I. H. , Nolasco G.
Published: November 2011

A study was conducted to characterize occurrence, molecular variability and potential sources ofCitrus tristeza virus(CTV) in Oman. A survey during 2009 and 2010 showed that CTV occurs in most (91%) of the surveyed districts. Moderate to high levels of infection with CTV in lime were detected in northern Oman (15–63%) compared to the south (0–12%). This could be related to the continuous introduction of infected citrus germplasm in the north from abroad, where CTV was detected in 45% of citrus seedlings imported from Syria, Lebanon, India, Pakistan and Egypt. CTV was detected for the first time in sweet lime, sweet lemon, citron, mandarin, sweet orange and sour orange and was found to be associated with stem pitting, stunting, leaf curling and vein clearing symptoms in many of the infected trees and seedlings in Oman. Bi‐directional reverse transcription‐PCR analysis of the coat protein (CP) gene of 22 randomly selected CTV‐positive samples provided evidence that severe strains of CTV exist in Oman. Cloning and sequencing the CP gene of six isolates showed that they have 91–100% nucleotide identity with each other and 96–99% with representative isolates from other parts of the world. Phylogenetic analysis of the CTV isolates showed that four belong to CTV Group 4. However, two isolates formed a separate clade with 100% bootstrap support for separation from Group 5. Phylogenetic analysis and coefficient of differentiation values suggest that the two isolates from Oman constitute a new CTV phylogenetic group.
Development and evaluation of a single‐step multiplex PCR to differentiate the aquatic stages of morphologically similar Aedes (subgenus: Stegomyia) species
Authors: Das Biswadeep , Swain Sunita , Patra Aparna , Das Mumani , Tripathy Hari Kishen , Mohapatra Namita , Kar Santanu K. , Hazra Rupenangshu K.
Published: November 2011

Objective  To develop a single‐step multiplex PCR to differentiate the aquatic stages of Aedes aegypti, Aedes albopictus and Aedes vittatus collected from different breeding spots in arbovirus endemic/epidemic areas and to detect the most abundant species by the multiplex PCR.

Methods  Aquatic stages of different mosquito species were sampled by inspecting artificial and natural breeding sites in domestic and peridomestic areas. DNA was isolated from different stages of the three Aedes species. Using novel primers based on 18S rDNA sequence, a single‐step multiplex PCR was developed to clearly distinguish the three Aedes species. It was then evaluated in the aquatic stages of Aedes species collected from different areas.

Results  A total of 1150 aquatic stages were collected from 294 breeding spots, of which 156 contained Aedes species. Discarded tires were the major breeding spots of Aedes species. The aquatic stages were clustered into 230 pools; Ae. albopictus was detected in the largest number of pools, followed by Ae. aegypti and Ae. vittatus.

Conclusions  The Multiplex PCR clearly differentiated the aquatic stages of the three Aedes species and detected that Ae. albopictus was most profuse in different breeding spots surveyed, hence indicating to be the main vector in this region. So control measures can be designed against Ae. albopictus at an early stage to prevent any arboviral outbreak. This method is a convenient tool for precise identification of Aedes vectors during entomological surveys in arbovirus endemic/epidemic areas where several species coexist.
Weak and strong publics: drawing on Nancy Fraser to explore parental participation in neonatal networks
Authors: Gibson Andrew J. , Lewando‐Hundt Gillian , Blaxter Loraine
Published: November 2011

Aims  We draw on the work of Nancy Fraser, and in particular her concepts of weak and strong publics, to analyze the process of parental involvement in managed neonatal network boards.

Background  Public involvement has moved beyond the individual level to include greater involvement of both patients and the public in governance. However, there is relatively little literature that explores the nature and outcomes of long‐term patient involvement initiatives or has attempted to theorize, particularly at the level of corporate decision making, the process of patient and public involvement.

Methods  A repeated survey of all neonatal network managers in England was carried out in 2006–07 to capture developments and changes in parental representation over this time period. This elicited information about the current status of parent representation on neonatal network boards. Four networks were also selected as case studies. This involved interviews with key members of each network board, interviews with parent representatives, observation of meetings and access to board minutes.

Results  Data collected show that a wide range of approaches to involving parents has been adopted. These range from decisions not to involve parents at this level to relatively well‐developed systems designed to link parent representatives on network boards to parents in neonatal units.

Conclusion  Despite these variations, we suggest that parental participation within neonatal services remains an example of a weak public because the parent representatives had limited participation with little influence on decision making.
Overcoming food allergy through acquired tolerance conferred by transfer of Tregs in a murine model
Authors: Yamashita H. , Takahashi K. , Tanaka H. , Nagai H. , Inagaki N.
Published: November 2011

To cite this article: Yamashita H, Takahashi K, Tanaka H, Nagai H, Inagaki N. Overcoming food allergy through acquired tolerance conferred by transfer of Tregs in a murine model. Allergy 2012; 67: 201–209.

Background:  The number of food allergy patients is increasing. Some children outgrow their food allergies through tolerance, whereas others remain susceptible throughout their lives. We aimed to contribute to food allergy therapeutics by understanding induction of oral tolerance in a murine food allergy model.

Methods:  We modified an existing murine food allergy model by using ovalbumin (OVA) to induce oral tolerance, either by pretreating mice with OVA or by transferring mesenteric lymph node (MLN) cells or T cells derived from mice treated with OVA.

Results:  Pretreatment with OVA prevented food allergy, with complete suppression of OVA‐specific immunoglobulin (Ig)E and IgA antibody production and interleukin (IL)‐4, IL‐10, and IL‐9 mRNA expression. The proportion of regulatory T cells (Tregs) in MLN cells and expression of transforming growth factor‐β mRNA increased. In the transfer model, anaphylaxis secondary to OVA intake was suppressed by transfer of whole MLN cells and Tregs from OVA‐treated mice. However, OVA‐specific IgE and IgA expressions were partially attenuated by transfer of antigen‐specific and nonspecific Tregs, but not by whole MLN cells from OVA‐treated mice. In the Treg transfer model, IL‐4 and IL‐10 mRNA expression decreased, but IL‐9 mRNA expression increased.

Conclusion:  We concluded that oral tolerance for food antigens is induced in two ways: (i) by initial exposure to antigen, or inherent tolerance, and (ii) by transfer of Tregs, or acquired tolerance. Because food allergies occur when inherent tolerance is absent, understanding of acquired tolerance is important for the development of therapies for food allergy.
Herbivore response to habitat manipulation with floral resources: a study of the cabbage root fly
Authors: Nilsson U. , Rännbäck L.‐M. , Anderson P. , Rämert B.
Published: November 2011

Biological control of pest insects can be improved by providing natural enemies with additional food resources such as floral nectar within the production field. However, herbivores may also benefit from this practice. The aim of this 3‐year field study was to investigate if dill and buckwheat, aimed as food resources for natural enemies, could increase the densities of the cabbage root fly, Delia radicum L. (Diptera: Anthomyiidae), a severe pest on crucifers. Differences in egg density, numbers of pupae and sex ratio were compared between cabbage plots with or without flowers. Habitat manipulation by intercropping flowering plants with cabbage did not increase the overall D. radicum egg density in our 3‐year study, and there were no significant differences in egg numbers between treatments in any year. No effect on the fecundity of D. radicum was observed, most likely because of the high mobility and feeding behaviour of the female flies, combined with high abundance and diversity of other food sources around the fields during this period. Despite equal egg numbers, fewer pupae were found in plots with flowers than without in one of three studied years. This finding suggests that natural enemies attacking larvae and pupae of D. radicum were either more abundant or efficient in cabbage plots with flowers.
Effects of Different Activation Regimens on Pronuclear Formation and Developmental Competence of In Vitro–Matured Porcine Oocytes After Intracytoplasmic Sperm Injection
Authors: Cheng W‐M , Wu Z‐H , Zhang X , Zhu Y‐B , Pang Y‐W , Guo M , Wang D , Tian J‐H
Published: November 2011

Contents

To improve the activation protocol for in vitro–maturated porcine oocytes after intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI), we examined the combined effect of U0126, a specific inhibitor of mitogen‐activated protein kinase kinases, and an electrical pulse on pronuclear formation and developmental competence. Two approaches were tested: (i) 6‐h treatment of ICSI oocytes with U0126 applied at different intervals (0, 2, 3 or 4 h) after the electrical pulse and (ii) treatment of ICSI oocytes with U0126 applied 4 h after the electrical pulse over an additional 4, 6 or 8 h. Another protein kinase inhibitor, 6‐dimethylaminopurine, was used as a chemical activator in control experiments. The highest rates of diploid embryo formation, normal fertilization and blastocyst formation were observed after 6 h of exposure to U0126 starting 4 h after the electrical pulse. Therefore, U0126 can be used as an activating agent for porcine oocytes fertilized by ICSI.
Peripheral catheter techniques
Authors: Dadure Christophe , Capdevila Xavier
Published: November 2011

With ultrasound, continuous peripheral nerve blocks (CPNBs) are one of the most recent developments in regional anesthesia in children. CPNBs are now used more widely in children because more suitable materials have been marketed, allowing complete, and prolonged postoperative pain control. Their use after orthopedic procedures in children and treatment for complex regional pain syndrome in adolescents has demonstrated the benefits. Perineural catheters have also shown their superiority over other techniques of continuous regional anesthesia in terms of side effects. The efficiency and the safety of these techniques may facilitate early ambulation with improved pain management, treatment at home with disposable pumps, and improved rehabilitation of children. Studies on large cohorts of patients published to date have failed to highlight any severe complications in their use compared with other adult studies. Accidents owing to systemic toxicity are very unlikely if the recommended maximum dose is not exceeded. The safety of continuous regional anesthesia techniques in children relies on the use of low‐concentration l‐enantiomer solutions (ropivacaine or levobupivacaine) accompanied by low plasma concentrations of local anesthetics, limiting the risk of systemic toxicity of these molecules. CPNB can ensure strong and lasting analgesia in hospital or at home.
Metabolic effects of bariatric surgery in type 2 diabetic patients with body mass index < 35 kg/m2
Authors: Li Q. , Chen L. , Yang Z. , Ye Z. , Huang Y. , He M. , Zhang S. , Feng X. , Gong W. , Zhang Z. , Zhao W. , Liu C. , Qu S. , Hu R.
Published: November 2011

Aim: The aim of this meta‐analysis is to assess the metabolic effects of bariatric surgery in type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) patients with body mass index (BMI) < 35 kg/m2.

Methods: We performed an electronic literature search of published articles to identify relevant evidence since inception to June 2011. Primary outcome measures were metabolic improvement and resolution diabetes after bariatric surgery. The weighted mean difference (WMD) and its 95% confidence interval (CI) were calculated from the raw data extracted from the original literature. The software Review Manager (version 4.3.1) was applied for meta‐analysis.

Results: Thirteen trials involving 357 patients were included in the meta‐analysis. The follow‐up interval ranged from 6 months to 18 years. According to WMD calculation, bariatric surgery led to 5.18 kg/m2 of BMI lowering (95% CI, 3.79–6.57, p < 0.00001), 4.8 mmol/l of fasting plasma glucose (FPG) decrement (95% CI, 3.88–5.71 mmol/l, p < 0.00001), 2.59% of HbA1c decreasing (95% CI, 2.12–3.07%, p < 0.00001), 56.67 mg/dl of triglyceride decrement (95% CI 11.53–101.82, p = 0.01) and 48.38 mg/dl of total cholesterol reduction (95% CI 21.08–75.68, p = 0.0005). Moreover, the procedures produced an increased high‐density lipoprotein cholesterol by 5.37 mg/dl (95% CI −11.37–0.63, p = 0.08). However, this effect was not statistically significant. Overall, 80.0% of the patients achieved adequate glycaemic control (HbA1c < 7%) without antidiabetic medication. The surgeries produced a low incidence of major complications (3.2%) with no mortality.

Conclusions: Bariatric surgery is effectual and safe in the treatment of non‐severely obese (BMI < 35 kg/m2) T2DM patients. Moreover, the metabolic benefits acquired from the procedures can be long sustained after the surgery.
Length of hospital stay is shorter in black and ethnic minority patients with diabetes
Authors: Kimani K. N. , Potluri R. , Natalwala A. , Ghosh S. , Heun R. , Narendran P.
Published: November 2011

Diabet. Med. 29, 830–831 (2012)
Serum uric acid is related to cardiovascular events and correlates with N‐terminal pro‐B‐type natriuretic peptide and albuminuria in patients with diabetes mellitus
Authors: Resl M. , Clodi M. , Neuhold S. , Kromoser H. , Riedl M. , Vila G. , Prager R. , Pacher R. , Strunk G. , Luger A. , Hülsmann M.
Published: November 2011

Diabet. Med. 29, 721–725 (2012)

Background  Hyperuricemia is a risk factor for cardiovascular events and renal insufficiency. It correlates to intima‐media thickness and microalbuminuria. In this study we evaluated uric acid as an independent marker for cardiac events in patients with diabetes.

Methods  In a prospective observational study we recruited 494 patients with diabetes. Patients were then followed for 12.8 months (mean follow‐up) and hospitalizations as a result of cardiac events (ischaemic heart disease, arrhythmias, heart failure) were recorded.

Results  The median duration of diabetes was 11 ± 10.35 years. Patients were in the mean 60 ± 13 years old and mean HbA1c was 62 ± 13 mmol/mol (7.8 ± 3.3%). At baseline, mean uric acid was 321.2 ± 101.1 μmol/l (range 101.1–743.5 μmol/l), median N‐terminal pro‐B‐type natriuretic peptide was 92 ± 412 pg/ml and median urinary albumin to creatinine ratio was 8 ± 361 mg/g; Uric acid significantly correlated to N‐terminal pro‐B‐type natriuretic peptide (r = 0.237, P < 0.001) and urinary albumin:creatinine ratio (r = 0.198, P < 0.001). In a Cox regression model, including age, estimated glomerular filtration rate, gender, systolic blood pressure, smoking and alcohol consumption, uric acid was the best predictor of cardiac events (hazard ratio 1.331, confidence interval 1.095–1.616, P = 0.04). However, uric acid lost its prognostic value when the natural logarithm of N‐terminal pro‐B‐type natriuretic peptide was added to the model.

Conclusion  Serum uric acid is a predictor of cardiac events and correlates to N‐terminal pro‐B‐type natriuretic peptide and albuminuria, underscoring the importance of uric acid as a cardiovascular risk marker in patients with diabetes.
Vowels in early words: an event‐related potential study
Authors: Mani Nivedita , Mills Debra L. , Plunkett Kim
Published: November 2011

Previous behavioural research suggests that infants possess phonologically detailed representations of the vowels and consonants in familiar words. These tasks examine infants’ sensitivity to mispronunciations of a target label in the presence of a target and distracter image. Sensitivity to the mispronunciation may, therefore, be contaminated by the degree of mismatch between the distracter label and the heard mispronounced label. Event‐related potential (ERP) studies allow investigation of infants’ sensitivity to the relationship between a heard label (correct or mispronounced) and the referent alone using single picture trials. ERPs also provide information about the timing of lexico‐phonological activation in infant word recognition. The current study examined 14‐month‐olds’ sensitivity to vowel mispronunciations of familiar words using ERP data from single picture trials. Infants were presented with familiar images followed by a correct pronunciation of its label, a vowel mispronunciation or a phonologically unrelated non‐word. The results support and extend previous behavioural findings that 14‐month‐olds are sensitive to mispronunciations of the vowels in familiar words using an ERP task. We suggest that the presence of pictorial context reinforces infants’ sensitivity to mispronunciations of words, and that mispronunciation sensitivity may rely on infants accessing the cross‐modal associations between word forms and their meanings.
THE GHOST OF CRISES PAST: ANALYZING REFORM SEQUENCES TO UNDERSTAND ITALY'S RESPONSE TO THE GLOBAL CRISIS
Authors: DI MASCIO FABRIZIO , NATALINI ALESSANDRO , STOLFI FRANCESCO
Published: November 2011

Using a process sequencing approach, this article shows how Italy's response to an earlier fiscal crisis has shaped the response to the current one in two public sector areas that are especially susceptible to fiscal constraints: the budget process and personnel policies. Substantively, it shows the extent to which Italian policymakers have used the repertoire of solutions of the past and the pressures of the current crisis to freeze the expenditure of the public sector. Previous New Public Management‐inspired reforms have been sidelined but not completely extinguished.
The Inevitability of Moral Evaluation*
Authors: RIJPKEMA PETER
Published: November 2011

According to contemporary legal positivism, law claims to create obligations. In order for law to be able to create obligations, it must be capable of having authority. Legal positivism claims that for law to be capable of having authority, it only has to meet non‐moral or non‐normative conditions of authority. In this paper it is argued that law can only be capable of having authority if it also meets certain normative conditions. But if something must meet certain normative conditions in order to be capable of having authority and if it must be capable of having authority in order to be law, then it is only law if it is conceivable that it meets these normative conditions and this can only be ascertained by means of an evaluation. Therefore, legal positivism's claim that determining what the law is does not necessarily, or conceptually, depend on moral or other evaluative considerations (the separation thesis) is incompatible with its claim that law must be able to create obligations. Further, an analysis of Hart's concept of law shows that it is not only possible that the identification of the law depends on moral evaluation, as Hart claims, but that it is conceptually necessary that it does.
Negotiating Urban Space: The Challenge of Political Steering in Market‐ and Network‐oriented Urban Planning
Authors: Hanssen Gro Sandkjær
Published: November 2011

This article examines challenges related to the political steering of New Public Management‐inspired planning practices in Norway and asks if local politicians have sufficient and adequate instruments to hand, and if they are willing and have the knowledge to use them. The discussion is based upon a broad survey of the 145 largest municipalities and qualitative interviews in the three largest cities. It is found that local politicians do not lack steering instruments, as the different managerial practices represent a spectrum of suitable tools for giving direction to urban development. However, the data indicate that local politicians do not utilise the full steering potential of the instruments due to lack of knowledge and will. These findings contribute to the discussion of the strategic steering role of local politicians.
Migrants' Social Networks and Weak Ties: Accessing Resources and Constructing Relationships Post-Migration
Authors: Ryan Louise
Published: November 2011

Within migration studies literature there is a tendency to assume that migrants have ready access to kin and friendship networks which facilitate the migration and settling processes. Through tight bonds of trust and reciprocity, these networks are considered to be sources of social capital, providing a counter-balance to the disadvantages that migrants may encounter in the destination society. This paper argues that more attention is needed to the ways in which migrants access, maintain and construct different types of networks, in varied social locations, with diverse people.

I suggest that the often simplistic dichotomy of bonding and bridging capital needs to be re-appraised and instead offer an alternative way of thinking about these social ties. The distinction between them tends to be understood on the basis of the ethnicity of the people involved – bonding involves close ties with ‘people like us’ while bridging involves links beyond ‘group cleavages’. Insufficient attention has been paid to the actual resources flowing between these ties or the kinds of relationship developing between the actors involved. The nature of these social networks may be better understood by focusing on the relationship between the actors, their relative social location, and their available and realisable resources. Data from a qualitative study of Polish migrants in London is used to illustrate this approach.
A ‘Good, Average Man’: Calculation and the Limits of Statistics in Enrolling Insurance Customers
Authors: McFall Liz
Published: November 2011

Drawing upon the historical relationship between statistics, probabilistic reasoning and life insurance, the article argues that mathematical calculation played a necessary but limited role in making markets for life insurance. Insuring publics have been fairly consistently cautious in the use of probabilistic and statistical reasoning to inform investment in life insurance. In this they follow a pattern set by early insurance companies who themselves were slow to alter their commercial practices in line with emerging knowledge. I examine some of the reasons for this glacial pace and some of the ambiguities on which statistical ‘certainties’ were built as part of an argument that the role of statistics and mathematics in market calculation is both less and more than it seems. This is manifest in the history of industrial life assurance, an industry with a phenomenally successful track record in the mass enrolment of consumers. Unlike their predecessors, industrial companies disdained swamping their target markets with probabilistic arguments in favour of a very different sort of argument that, nevertheless, carried a trace of statistical thinking with it. This trace came in the form of ‘good, average men’, the agents who became industrial insurance's core marketing device and who translated the essentials of a statistically informed product into a more palatable, more calculable form.
Discourse change and policy development in social assistance in China
Authors: Zhang Haomiao
Published: November 2011

Zhang H. Discourse change and policy development in social assistance in China

Since the introduction of a new social assistance programme in urban China, the state was eventually able to expand the programme to rural areas as a further step towards integrating the development of social assistance in urban and rural areas. This article argues that the development of social assistance in China can be explained by the change of discourse among the officials and the elites in central government. The discourse on social assistance can be conceptualised in three periods: the urban‐first discourse (1999–2003); the discourse debate (2003–2007); and the urban–rural integration discourse (2007–present). Through scrutinising specific discourses and the policy development of social assistance in these three periods, it appears that in company with the change in the discourse process, rural social assistance was developed rapidly in order to construct an integrated social assistance system. The article concludes that discourse plays a significant role in Chinese social assistance policy development.
Nail digital dermoscopy (Onychoscopy) in the diagnosis of onychomycosis
Authors: Piraccini B.M. , Balestri R. , Starace M. , Rech G.
Published: November 2011

Background  Distal subungual onychomycosis and traumatic onycholysis are the most common causes of toenail abnormalities, and differential diagnosis is often impossible without mycology.

Objectives  To identify and describe dermoscopic signs specific for distal subungual onychomycosis that could facilitate its diagnosis and differentiation from traumatic mycologically negative onycholysis and to determine the sensitivity and specificity of these dermoscopic features.

Methods  We performed a retrospective study at the Outpatient Consultation for Nail Diseases of the Department of Dermatology of the University of Bologna.

Dermoscopic digital images of 57 consecutive patients who underwent global photography, videodermoscopy and mycological examination for onycholysis of a single toenail between 1 December, 2010 and 30 June, 2011, were evaluated and compared. Digital dermoscopic images of onycholysis of the great toenail were evaluated for the presence of peculiar dermoscopic features.

The presumptive dermoscopic diagnosis was compared with results of mycology.

Results  Evaluation of videodermoscopic images allowed us to identify three recurring peculiar dermoscopic features, two of which were present only in distal subungual onychomycosis (jagged proximal edge with spikes of the onycholytic area and longitudinal striae) and one only in traumatic onycholysis (linear edge – without spikes – of the onycholytic area).

Conclusions  We found distinctive dermoscopic signs that are exclusive to distal subungual onychomycosis and to traumatic onycholysis. Detection of these signs is simple and can, in selected cases, help to avoid mycology.
What factors influence the decisions of parents of children with special educational needs when choosing a secondary educational provision for their child at change of phase from primary to secondary education? A review of the literature
Authors: Byrne Andrew
Published: November 2011

This review presents the results of a literature scoping exercise looking at the decisions parents of children with special educational needs (SEN) make when choosing a secondary placement to send their child at change of phase. The review reports on studies that were conducted in England and other areas of the UK as well as in Australia and the USA because there has been only a limited amount of research into this area conducted in an English context. In addition, some of the papers do not discuss school choice specifically but cover related themes. The study identifies a number of broad factors that impact on parents' decision‐making: the age of the child, the nature and degree of the SEN; the socio‐economic status of the parents; the child's experience of inclusion in the primary phase; the secondary schools philosophy, capacity and perceived commitment to SEN; beliefs about teacher's skills, knowledge, capacity and attitudes; and the influence of other people, for example family, friends and professionals.
Improvement of cognitive function in Alzheimer’s disease model mice by genetic and pharmacological inhibition of the EP4 receptor
Authors: Hoshino Tatsuya , Namba Takushi , Takehara Masaya , Murao Naoya , Matsushima Takahide , Sugimoto Yukihiko , Narumiya Shuh , Suzuki Toshiharu , Mizushima Tohru
Published: November 2011

J. Neurochem. (2012) 120, 795–805.

Amyloid‐β peptide (Aβ), which is generated by the β‐ and γ‐secretase‐mediated proteolysis of β‐amyloid precursor protein (APP), plays an important role in the pathogenesis of Alzheimer’s disease (AD). We recently reported that prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) stimulates the production of Aβ through both EP2 and EP4 receptors and that activation of the EP4 receptor stimulates Aβ production through endocytosis and activation of γ‐secretase. We here found that transgenic mice expressing mutant APP (APP23) mice showed a greater or lesser apparent cognitive deficit when they were crossed with mice lacking EP2 or EP4 receptors, respectively. Mice lacking the EP4 receptor also displayed lower levels of Aβ plaque deposition and less neuronal and synaptic loss than control mice. Oral administration of a specific EP4 receptor antagonist, AE3‐208 to APP23 mice, improved their cognitive performance, as well as decreasing brain levels of Aβ and suppressing endocytosis and activation of γ‐secretase. Taken together, these results suggest that inhibition of the EP4 receptor improves the cognitive function of APP23 mice by suppressing Aβ production and reducing neuronal and synaptic loss. We therefore propose that EP4 receptor antagonists, such as AE3‐208, could be therapeutically beneficial for the prevention and treatment of AD.
Relation between body composition, abdominal obesity, and lung function
Authors: Pekkarinen E. , Vanninen E. , Länsimies E. , Kokkarinen J. , Timonen K. L.
Published: November 2011

Reference values of spirometry and diffusion capacity are usually adjusted for age, sex, height and ethnic origin. However, also other factors, mainly weight and body composition, have an effect on pulmonary function. Therefore, we examined how body composition and abdominal obesity are related to lung function in normal population and whether they should be taken into account in the reference values. Two hundred and eighty‐four healthy Finnish non‐smoking adults were included in the study. Height, waist circumference, abdominal sagittal diameter and body composition were measured, and spirometry and diffusion capacity (DLCO) were performed. Muscle mass (r = 0·29, P = 0·000) and lean body mass (r = 0·29, P = 0·000) correlated positively with DLCO. However, no significant correlation between body composition and spirometry results was observed. Abdominal sagittal diameter (r = −0·21, P = 0·000) and waist circumference (r = −0·22, P = 0·000) correlated inversely with the forced expiratory volume in 1 s/forced vital capacity ratio (FEV1/FVC). In our study population, subjects with higher muscle and lean body mass had higher DLCO. This indicates a need for future re‐evaluation of reference values. Besides, already minor abdominal obesity is associated with obstructive changes in spirometry results.
Guide to Receptors and Channels (GRAC), 5th edition
Authors: Alexander SPH , Mathie A , Peters JA
Published: November 2011

The Fifth Edition of the ‘Guide to Receptors and Channels’ is a compilation of the major pharmacological targets divided into seven sections: G protein‐coupled receptors, ligand‐gated ion channels, ion channels, catalytic receptors, nuclear receptors, transporters and enzymes. These are presented with nomenclature guidance and summary information on the best available pharmacological tools, alongside suggestions for further reading. Available alongside this publication is a portal at http://www.GuideToPharmacology.org which is produced in close association with NC‐IUPHAR and allows free online access to the information presented in the Fifth Edition.
Park Gazettement and Integrated Conservation and Development as Factors in Community Conflict at Bwindi Impenetrable Forest, Uganda
Authors: BAKER JULIA , MILNER‐GULLAND E. J. , LEADER‐WILLIAMS NIGEL
Published: November 2011

Abstract:  Conflicts between protected‐area managers and local people are common, but the drivers of conflict are rarely analyzed. This limits opportunities to identify strategies that reduce conflict and the magnitude of resulting threats to conservation. Integrated conservation and development (ICD) was adopted at Bwindi Impenetrable Forest, Uganda, to reduce conflict during gazettement of the national park, but the success of this approach remains contested. We retrieved documents of conflict written by park staff and local people from 1986 through 2000 (before, during, and after gazettement). We extracted data on 48 incidences of violent conflict and categorized them by gazettement period, area, instigator, and type to undertake a historical analysis of the triggers of violent conflict at Bwindi. Before and during gazettement, local villagers instigated most of the conflict incidents when law‐enforcement efforts sought to halt commercial activities within Bwindi. No conflict arose from the arrest of villagers collecting subsistence resources during these periods. After gazettement, prohibitions on commercial activities continued to drive conflict even though villagers collecting subsistence resources were arrested more frequently than before gazettement, and local attitudes toward the park had improved following receipt of ICD benefits. Law‐enforcement efforts targeted commercial activities to reduce this threat to Bwindi's mountain gorillas (Gorilla beringei beringei), although the activities remained important income sources for people in villages near Bwindi. Losing commercial income following gazettement therefore appeared to be their primary motivation for instigating conflict with park rangers. Prohibitions on subsistence resource use triggered conflict less often. Our use of typologies for a multivariate conflict analysis demonstrates that by identifying differences between effects of conservation as drivers of conflict, conflict analysis can enable a more strategic deployment of conflict–resolution measures that could further conservation efforts. At Bwindi targeting ICD toward individuals who lost benefits from commercial activities may strengthen the role of ICD in conflict resolution and conservation.
Bringing the Body Back to Sexual Ethics
Authors: Barnhill Anne
Published: November 2011

The body and bodily experience make little appearance in analytic moral philosophy. This is true even of analytic sexual ethics—the one area of ethical inquiry we might have expected to give a starring role to bodily experience. I take a small step toward remedying that by identifying one way in which the bodily experience of sex is ethically significant: some of the physical actions of sex have a default expressive significance, conveying trust, affection, care, sensitivity, enjoyment, and pleasure. When people having sex don't in fact have these feelings, the sex can be misleading, even if they've antecedently communicated that they don't have these feelings. This account of how sex can mislead is inspired by a perhaps surprising source, Catholic sexual morality. Analytic sexual ethicists could benefit from emulating Catholic sexual morality's attentiveness to the bodily nature of sex and its ethical significance.
Bond Strength and Interfacial Micromorphology of Etch‐and‐Rinse and Self‐Adhesive Resin Cements to Dentin
Authors: Vaz Ricardo Rodrigues , Hipólito Vinicius Di , D'Alpino Paulo Henrique Perlatti , Goes Mario Fernando de
Published: November 2011

Purpose: To evaluate the microtensile bond strength and interfacial micromorphology of indirect composite restorations to dentin using three commercial resin cements after 24 hours and 30 days of water storage.

Materials and Methods: The medium dentin of third human molars was exposed (N = 30, n = 10 per group). Three commercial resin cements were used to cement indirect resin composite restorations to dentin: the auto‐cured C&B Cement/All Bond 2, the dual‐cured RelyX ARC/Adper Single Bond 2, and the self‐adhesive dual‐cured RelyX Unicem. Teeth were sectioned after water storage at 37°C (24 hours and 30 days) to obtain beams with a bonded area of 0.8 mm2. The specimens were tested in a universal testing machine at a 0.5 mm/min crosshead speed. Scanning electron microscopic fractographic and interfacial micromorphology analyses were performed. Data were analyzed using two‐way ANOVA and Tukey′s test (α= 0.05).

Results: Mean bond strength (MPa) after 24 hours: C&B Cement 19.5 ± 3.8, RelyX ARC 40.8 ± 9.4, RelyX Unicem 31.3 ± 7.4; after 30 days: C&B Cement 24.5 ± 5.1, RelyX ARC 44.2 ± 8.5, RelyX Unicem 28.3 ± 7.1. The mean bond strengths of both dual‐cure cements were significantly higher than that obtained with C&B Cement after 24 hours. A significant increase in the bond strength of C&B Cement was verified after 30 days, reaching values statistically equivalent to those produced by RelyX Unicem and RelyX ARC. The self‐adhesive cement preserved the same level of bond strength after 30 days. Fractographic analysis revealed a prevalence of cohesive fractures in the hybrid layer for C&B Cement, mixed (cohesive in the cement, hybrid layer, and adhesive) for RelyX ARC, and cohesive in the cement for RelyX Unicem. No distinguishable hybrid layer or resin tags were observed in the interaction of RelyX Unicem with dentin.

Conclusions: The particular interaction of each cement with dentin results in specific bond strength and failure patterns that varied among groups in both evaluation times. Even though the self‐adhesive cement tested exhibited no authentic hybrid layer, it was able to promote reliable adhesion with the underlying dentin.
Evaluation of moldable, in situ hardening calcium phosphate bone graft substitutes
Authors: Schmidlin P. R. , Nicholls F. , Kruse A. , Zwahlen R. A. , Weber F. E.
Published: November 2011

Objective

Moldable in situ self‐stabilizing and hardening bone graft materials facilitate handling and may be suitable for membrane‐free bone regeneration methods. This study aimed to compare two moldable synthetic calcium phosphate materials in a rabbit calvarial defect model.

Method

In 12 New Zealand white rabbits, four evenly distributed 6 mm diameter defects were drilled in the calvarial bone. Three filler materials were randomly applied to 48 defects: an in situ hardening polylactide‐coated ß‐tricalcium phosphate (TCP), an in situ hardening polylactide‐coated biphasic calcium phosphate (BCP), and a granular deproteinized bovine bone matrix (DBBM, positive control). One defect remained untreated and served as a negative control. Six animals were sacrificed after 4 weeks, and the remaining animals were sacrificed after 16 weeks. Biocompatibility, bone graft substitute integration and resorption, bone formation, defect bridging, and height of reconstructed hard tissue were assessed histologically and histomorphometrically.

Results

All tested materials showed good biocompatibility. Semi‐quantitative analysis and pair‐wise comparison suggested that BCP was more efficient in centripetal bone formation when compared with TCP. After 4 weeks, significantly more bone had formed in the defects treated with either TCP or BCP materials compared with the untreated sites. BCP and DBBM did not show macroscopic signs of degradation, whereas the TCP material was partially resorbed after 16 weeks. Otherwise, no major differences were detected between the three materials.

Conclusion

The moldable, synthetic calcium phosphates are safe and suitable bone graft substitutes with outcomes that are comparable to the control material.
Tissue integration of collagen‐based matrices: an experimental study in mice
Authors: Thoma Daniel S. , Villar Cristina C. , Cochran David L. , Hämmerle Christoph H. F. , Jung Ronald E.
Published: November 2011

Objectives

To test whether or not tissue integration, biodegradation, and new blood vessel formation in two collagen‐based matrices depend on the level of chemical cross‐linking.

Material and methods

Two collagen matrices with high (CM1) and low (CM2) levels of chemical cross‐linking were randomly implanted in two pouches in 14 athymic nude mice. Three and 6 weeks later, the animals were euthanized. Histologic and histomorphometric measurements were performed on paraffin‐embedded sections.

Results

Both collagen matrices integrated well into the surrounding soft tissues. The level of cross‐linking and duration of implantation had an effect on the formation of new blood vessels. More blood vessels (n = in absolute numbers) were found in outer compartments compared to the central compartments of the matrices, reaching 5.6 (CM2) vs. 4.3 (CM1) at 3 weeks, and 5.3 (CM2) vs. 7.3 (CM1) at 6 weeks. Similarly, connective tissue formation increased for both matrices between 3 and 6 weeks, whereas the amount of remaining collagen network gradually decreased over time being more pronounced for CM1 (−50%) compared to CM2 (−15%).

Conclusions

The degree of cross‐linking was negatively correlated for all outcome measures resulting in improved tissue integration, superior matrix stability and enhanced angiogenic patterns for the less cross‐linked collagen matrix (CM2) in this experimental study in mice.
Periodontitis in non‐smoking type 1 diabetic adults: a cross‐sectional study
Authors: Hodge Penny J , Robertson Douglas , Paterson Kenneth , Smith Gillian L F , Creanor Siobhan , Sherriff Andrea
Published: November 2011

Aim

To compare levels of periodontitis in non‐smoking type 1 diabetic patients and controls.

Material and Methods

Type 1 diabetic patients, aged 20–55 years, were recruited from outpatient clinics at five hospitals in Glasgow, UK. Control subjects were recruited from physiotherapy clinics, using the buddy system and through an advertisement in a free newspaper. The primary outcome was severe periodontitis defined by clinical attachment level ≥6 mm on ≥1 tooth.

Results

There were 34 well controlled patients (HbA1c ≤ 7.5%), 169 poorly controlled patients and 112 non‐diabetic subjects. Prevalence of severe periodontitis was higher in all type 1 diabetic patients [24.1% (95% CI: 18.4–30.6%)] and poorly controlled patients [27.2% (20.7–34.6%)] than in controls [20.5% (13.5–29.2%)]. The fully adjusted odds ratios (ORs) in never smokers comparing the whole diabetic group, and the poorly controlled group, with the control group were 1.35 [0.66–2.8] (p = 0.41) and 1.58 [0.75–3.33] (p = 0.23), respectively. Mean clinical attachment level was higher in all type 1 diabetic and poorly controlled patients than in controls (both p < 0.001).

Conclusions

These results indicate worse periodontal health in type 1 diabetic patients than in control subjects.

Trial registration

This study was registered with the UKCRN, ID: 9314 and Scottish Diabetes Research Network registration number: 128.
Comparison of strength development with resistance training and combined exercise training in type 2 diabetes
Authors: Larose J. , Sigal R. J. , Khandwala F. , Kenny G. P.
Published: November 2011

Resistance training has been shown to increase strength in type 2 diabetes; however, it is unclear if combining resistance and aerobic training (A + R) impedes strength development compared with resistance training only (R). The purpose of this study was to compare changes in strength with A + R vs R in individuals with type 2 diabetes. We evaluated monthly workload increments in participants from the Diabetes Aerobic and Resistance Exercise clinical trial. Muscular strength was assessed through training volumes and as the eight repetition maximum (8‐RM) at 0, 3, and 6 months. Both groups increased their upper and lower body volumes monthly for 6 months. The relative increase in upper body workload in R was significantly greater than A + R at 4 months (161 ± 11% vs 127 ± 11%, P = 0.009) and at 6 months of training (177 ± 11% vs 132 ± 11%, P = 0.008). Both groups had improvements in 8‐RM workloads at 3 and 6 months. The resistance training group had a significantly greater improvement in 8‐RM on the leg press at 6 months compared with A + R (80 ± 11% vs 58 ± 8%, P = 0.045). Both R and A + R improved strength with a 6‐month training program; however, increases in strength may be greater with resistance training alone compared with performing both aerobic and resistance training.
The neurocognition of alexithymia: evidence from neuropsychological and neuroimaging studies
Authors: Wingbermühle Ellen , Theunissen Hanneke , Verhoeven Willem M. A. , Kessels Roy P. C. , Egger Jos I. M.
Published: November 2011

Objective: Alexithymia refers to an ineffective regulation and expression of emotions. It constitutes a major risk factor for a range of medical and psychiatric problems, including chronic pain, somatisation, anxiety and depression. Alexithymia is a multi-faceted concept, described in terms of cognitive and affective aspects. From a neuropsychological perspective, alexithymia can be defined as a disturbance in affective information processing and social cognition. As the growing literature on brain structures involved in alexithymia is fragmented and sometimes even contradictory, the aim of this article was to review findings on neural substrates with regard to their convergence.

Methods: A narrative review was performed, including both early neuropsychological and more recent imaging studies, in order to achieve a better understanding of the aetiology of alexithymia.

Results: Corpus callosum, cingulate cortex and insula are clearly involved in alexithymia. The amygdala and the orbitofrontal part of the cortex appear to be implicated as mediators, because of their broader involvement in emotional processing and executive control.

Conclusion: Notwithstanding the diffuse neural representation, the alexithymia construct can be usefully applied in the clinical and empirical studies of social cognition, particularly when adopting a dimensional neuropsychological approach.