bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
‘Cowboys and Professionals’: The Politics of Identity Work in the Private and Military Security Company
Authors: Higate Paul
Published: November 2011

This article examines the politics of identity work in the private security industry. Drawing on memoirs authored by British private military contractors, and using a theoretical framework influenced by symbolic interactionist thought, the article highlights the relevance of intersubjectivity to identity constitution. In particular, British contractors are found to constitute their professional identity in relation to their US military and contractor counterparts, above all by framing them as ‘less-competent others’. This article makes an original contribution to the private and military security companies literature through its sociological focus on the links between national and professional self-identities and security practices on the ground. The article also explores the importance of the memoir genre as a valid textual resource which throws light on the interplay of the international and security dimensions within multinational military and militarised contexts.
From ‘Mercenaries’ to ‘Private Security Contractors’: The (Re)Construction of Armed Security Providers in International Legal Discourses
Authors: Krahmann Elke
Published: November 2011

The proliferation of armed security contractors in Iraq and Afghanistan has led to widespread criticism of their insufficient control through international laws and conventions. This article suggests that one reason for this omission has been the (re)construction of actors who provide armed force for profit in international legal discourses. During most of the 20th century, armed persons who participated in foreign conflicts for monetary gain were identified as ‘mercenaries’. They were outlawed through international legal documents such as the United Nations (UN) Convention on Mercenarism and given restricted rights in the First Additional Protocol to the Geneva Conventions. Today, the same types of actors are increasingly defined as ‘private security contractors’, and new discourses and international agreements are emerging that attribute to them legality and legitimacy. The aim of this article is to examine the changing legal constructions of armed security providers since the 1970s and the consequences with respect to their control. The article argues that the (re)construction of actors who supply armed force for money in international legal discourses has been made possible by three main discursive strategies: the distinction between persons and corporations providing armed force for profit, the changing focus from the motivations of these actors to their relationship to a ‘responsible command’, and the shift from a concern about the actors to one about certain activities.
Who Needs Security? Entrepreneurial Minorities, Security Values, and Firm Performance
Authors: Pattie Marshall , Parks Laura , Wales William
Published: November 2011

In this study, the authors seek to enhance their understanding of why minority and majority entrepreneurs succeed at different rates, by going beyond surface-level demographic variables and investigating deep-level differences between these groups. The present research suggests that minorities exhibit differences in security values. This helps explain previous evidence that minority-owned small businesses perform worse than their majority-owned counterparts. Results suggest that security values fully mediate the relationship between ethnicity and firm performance. In addition, the authors’ analysis suggests that access to capital helps explain the influence of security values on firm performance. An explanatory model is proposed.
Collaborating With Parents to Establish Behavioral Goals in Child-Centered Play Therapy
Authors: Post Phyllis B. , Ceballos Peggy L. , Penn Saundra L.
Published: November 2011

The purpose of this article is to provide specific guidelines for child-centered play therapists to set behavioral outcome goals to effectively work with families and to meet the demands for accountability in the managed care environment. The child-centered play therapy orientation is the most widely practiced approach among play therapists who identify a specific theoretical orientation. While information about setting broad objectives is addressed using this approach to therapy, explicit guidelines for setting behavioral goals, while maintaining the integrity of the child-centered theoretical orientation, are needed. The guidelines are presented in three phases of parent consultation: (a) the initial engagement with parents, (b) the ongoing parent consultations, and (c) the termination phase. In keeping with the child-centered approach, the authors propose to work with parents from a person-centered orientation and seek to appreciate how cultural influences relate to parents’ concerns and goals for their children. A case example is provided to demonstrate how child-centered play therapists can accomplish the aforementioned goals.
Influences on Evaluation Quality
Authors: Cooksy Leslie J. , Mark Melvin M.
Published: November 2011

Attention to evaluation quality is commonplace, even if sometimes implicit. Drawing on her 2010 Presidential Address to the American Evaluation Association, Leslie Cooksy suggests that evaluation quality depends, at least in part, on the intersection of three factors: (a) evaluator competency, (b) aspects of the evaluation environment or context, and (c) the level and nature of supportive resources that are available in the evaluation community. In a brief reaction to her views, Mel Mark discusses selected implications of Cooksy’s approach and comments on the notion of evaluation quality itself.
Playing with politics: Political fans and Twitter faking in post-broadcast democracy
Authors: Wilson Jason
Published: November 2011

Mobile and social media are interwoven with emerging, fan-like forms of engagement with mediatized politics. In ‘post-broadcast democracies’, a minority of citizens are affectively drawn to the spectacle of mediated politics. Increasingly, these citizens use the texts and personae of mediatized politics as raw material for their own creativity, using social and mobile media and online self-publishing platforms. More specifically, the activity of Twitter ‘faking’ shows playful, performative and mobile dimensions, which challenge scholars to rethink theories of play, performance, fandom and political engagement. Such activities challenge us to rethink mobile gaming in terms of the politics of mobile play.
The magic circle and the mobility of play
Authors: Moore Christopher
Published: November 2011

Convergent media and communication technologies have changed what it means for games to be mobile, but play has a mobility of its own that often goes unacknowledged. This article draws together emerging theory from debates in game studies on the separation of the experience of gameplay from the everyday. It examines the metaphor of the ‘magic circle’ and analyses how play, as a mode of experience, is mobilized across dimensions of hardware and software, extending the functions of games beyond the imagining of designers and manufacturers. The article considers what the mobility of play indicates for the player in the creation and management of identity online in the light of game studies consolidation of the magic circle through Goffman’s Frame Analysis. It sees new opportunities in the play of Zombie Media and the role of digital game artifacts in the presentation of the gamer persona, recasting Benjamin and Baudelaire’s flâneur as the ‘gameur’.
Gendered perceptions of own and partner weight-level
Authors: Christensen Vibeke Tornhøj
Published: November 2011

This study investigates gender differences in perceptions of body weight. Previous research has found significant gender differences in perceived weight-level, but less is known about weight perceptions of the opposite gender. Based on Danish survey data (859 women and 160 men), the discrepancy between BMI weight-level and self-perceived weight-level is estimated as well as the perception of one’s partner’s weight-level. Two main empirical conclusions emerge. First, there are significant gender differences in weight assessment. Whereas women assess weight according to the standardized BMI weight-levels for both genders, men assess weight according to gender. The weight-level of men is often underestimated by men themselves, but both men and women tend to overestimate the weight-level of women in the lower BMI deciles compared to standardized BMI weight-levels. Second, there is greater underestimation of weight-levels for individuals in the higher BMI – especially regarding weight perceptions of the opposite gender. These findings are discussed within a framework of socio-cultural theory of body image and gendered relations.
Breaking the spell: Have cell phones transformed reservists’ timeout?
Authors: Levin David
Published: November 2011

Military reserve service in Israel and the use of cell phones seem to be mutually exclusive. As citizens drafted annually for a limited period, soldiers on reserve duty constitute a unique community on timeout from which family are excluded and during which social status is laid aside. This state of things, I argue, has been challenged by the invasion of the cell phone with its capacity to cross over physical and symbolic boundaries, thereby polluting the air with voices from the hinterland. In this article I introduce a model according to which the affordances of a new technology redefine the embedded traits and constraints of the ‘timeout’. Working in combination with the identity discourse of the participants and the cultural meanings of timeout, cell technology challenges the traditional understanding of reserve duty as a timeout period. I show how the cell phone has polluted the heretofore secluded space of reservist time by reintroducing differences in status, culture and nationality into the isolation, equality and fraternity of miluim (reserve duty), and how participants read this new situation, and sometimes contest it.
Cosmopolitanism: Religion and kinship among young people in south-western Sydney
Authors: Turner Bryan S. , Halse Christine , Sriprakash Arathi
Published: November 2011

Debates about globalization have been accompanied by considerable critical assessment of the notion of cosmopolitanism. The upsurge in travel, trade, communication, and resettlement among non-elite individuals and groups has raised questions about the nature and form of ‘bottom-up’ or ‘vernacular’ cosmopolitanism. This article explores the ways in which the experiences of a group of young people (12–15 years of age) in south-western Sydney contribute to shared practices of membership in a culturally differentiated society. On one level, these young people display a de facto vernacular cosmopolitanism through familial experiences of migration. However, the article shows how these young people often move within socially and culturally bounded communities defined by ethnicity, language, socio-economic status, shaped by desires for safety, support and belonging, and maintained by propinquity, religion and the persistence of traditional expectations and patterns around gender and inter-marriage.
Service users’ involvement in the development of a maintenance cognitive stimulation therapy (CST) programme: A comparison of the views of people with dementia, staff and family carers
Authors: Aguirre Elisa , Spector Aimee , Streater Amy , Burnell Karen , Orrell Martin
Published: November 2011

This study reports on the process of developing a maintenance programme manual following the Medical Research Council guidelines representing the ‘phase I’ or modelling. This study uses an inductive thematic analysis approach to examine user perceptions on the maintenance cognitive stimulation therapy (CST) programme. Three focus groups were carried out with people with dementia, three with staff, and three with family carers of people with dementia. In total 17 people with dementia, 13 staff and 18 family carers took part in separate focus groups. The main findings from the user focus clearly supports the recent draft NICE guidelines on dementia (NICE‐SCIE, 2006) that states that all people with mild/moderate dementia should be ‘given the opportunity to participate in a structured group of cognitive stimulation programme’. People with dementia highly valued the opportunity to take part in a mental stimulating group programme and found it vital in keeping them healthy and active. Most family carers and staff were very positive but expressed concerns about the effectiveness of this type of programme and gave real life examples where the idea of ‘use it or lose it’ did not apply. Results from the focus groups will be used in order to produce a new version of the maintenance CST draft manual and this will be evaluated in a large randomized controlled trial (RCT).
Coping with caring: Profiles of caregiving by informal carers living with a loved one who has dementia
Authors: Kraijo Henk , Brouwer Werner , de Leeuw Rob , Schrijvers Guus , van Exel Job
Published: November 2011

Background and aim: While the number of people suffering from dementia in the Netherlands will double in the next 25 years, there are no plans to expand the capacity of residential care facilities for these patients. This will almost inevitably lead to an increase in the burden placed on informal carers. We investigated how caregivers living with a loved one who has dementia experience their caregiving situation.

Methods: For this study, 53 caregivers ranked a structured set of opinion statements covering a representative range of aspects of caregiving. By-person factor analysis was used to uncover patterns in the rankings of statements.

Results: Five distinct profiles of caregiving were identified that provide information on the various care situations that can occur, the needs and dilemmas that these caregivers face, and the subjective burden and perseverance time of the carers.

Conclusions: The findings contribute to the development of interventions for the support of informal caregivers.
Exploring the gap between rhetoric and reality in dementia care in Australia: Could practice documents help bridge the great divide?
Authors: Venturato Lorraine , Moyle Wendy , Steel Andrea
Published: November 2011

Quality of care, and indeed, quality of life, for people living with dementia in long-term care is often underpinned by philosophies of care, such as person-centred care and relationship-centred care. The translation of these philosophies into practice is influenced by a range of individual and organizational features, including the context in which such care occurs. Within modern care organizations, the context of care is evidenced through organizational documents.

This study sought to identify the key documents guiding dementia care within one large Australian long-term care organization and to explore points of consistency and tension within the documented system of care. Results highlight a lack of consistency and clarity in the philosophy of dementia care and a disconnection between the key documents guiding practice. This disconnection creates tension for clinicians and carers, and may contribute to the gap between rhetoric and reality in dementia care.

This study suggests that a congruent documented dementia system can help bridge the gap between espoused philosophies of care and everyday care practices.
A critique of the evidence base for non-pharmacological sleep interventions for persons with dementia
Authors: Brown Cary A , Berry Robyn , Tan Maria C , Khoshia Anjalee , Turlapati Lakshmi , Swedlove Fern
Published: November 2011

Disordered sleep in persons with dementia is a contributing factor for a range of health problems. The evidence base for non-pharmacological interventions has not been evaluated and clearly presented in the literature. This paper provides a structured Critical Literature Review of the evidence for non-pharmacological interventions to reduce disordered sleep in persons with dementia. The systematic search retrieved 29 studies that were evaluated for methodological quality. The quality of evidence ranged from conclusive for light therapy and activity to inconclusive for most other interventions. There is a paucity of conclusive research for non-pharmacological sleep interventions for persons with dementia. Most of the evidence about effective interventions is anecdotal and untested. There is a need for rigorous scientific inquiry, coupled with tacit knowledge to build a strong evidence base on non-pharmacological interventions for disordered sleep for persons with dementia.
Conceptual design metrics for daylighting
Authors: Leslie RP , Radetsky LC , Smith AM
Published: November 2011

Daylight is a key component of green building; however, no prevailing metric has emerged to help identify buildings that are well-daylit buildings. This paper proposes a ‘daylighting dashboard’; a visual representation of a design’s potential to meet eight design goals: average illuminance, coverage, diffuse daylight, daylight autonomy, circadian stimulus, glazing area, view and solar heat gain. This metric allows for informed decisions to be made early in the conceptual phase of design, and highlights aspects of design that may need further development, while there is still the opportunity to make modifications. These eight goals should be prioritized as appropriate for individual projects, rating systems or code requirements. This early indication of performance of conceptual design alternatives is likely to guide architects to better daylit buildings.
The Effectiveness of Civic Education
Authors: Gainous Jason , Martens Allison M.
Published: November 2011

Past research has explored the effectiveness of civic education in America’s classrooms. We build on these efforts using a survey of American students to test whether civics instruction enhances students’ political knowledge, political efficacy, and their voting intent. We refer to these outcomes, collectively, as democratic capacity. Recognizing that not all classroom experiences are created equal, we break new ground by exploring the degree to which the effectiveness of civic education is conditioned on variation in instructional methods employed by teachers. We also examine how variation in students’ home environment affects the effectiveness of civic education. The results suggest that civic education seems to influence democratic capacity only for those students who come from less privileged backgrounds and that teachers who use a wider range of instructional methods appear to deter the stimulation of knowledge for these students while simultaneously boosting their efficacy. We discuss the implications of these findings.
527 Committees and the Political Party Network
Authors: Skinner Richard M. , Masket Seth E. , Dulio David A.
Published: November 2011

We investigate the links between 527s and other political organizations through the employment histories of 527 staff. We find that 527s are highly central to modern political party networks and are in positions to facilitate coordination within a party and to employ key party personnel. Furthermore, we find important differences between the networks charted out by the two major parties. The Republican Party, the majority party during the period under study, had a more hierarchical network than the Democratic Party did.
Is sparing the pronator quadratus muscle possible in volar plating of the distal radius?
Authors: Heidari N. , Clement H. , Kosuge D. , Grechenig W. , Tesch N. P. , Weinberg A. M.
Published: November 2011

We measured the length of the distal radius that can be exposed by mobilizing the distal edge of pronator quadratus (PQ) without detaching its radial attachment. Measurements were made in 20 cadaveric upper limbs from the distal margin of the radius in line with the scaphoid and lunate fossae to the distal margin of the PQ, before and after mobilization of the muscle from its distal attachment. The mean distance from the distal edge of the PQ to the scaphoid fossa was 13.1 mm and to the lunate fossa was 10.7 mm. This increased to a mean of 26.2 mm for the scaphoid and a mean of 23.8 mm for the lunate fossa following mobilization of PQ. Subperiosteal retrograde release of the PQ from its distal margin will allow for the placement of a volar plate and insertion of locking peri-articular screws in the great majority of volar locking plate systems on the market.
Outcome of nerve transfers for traumatic complete brachial plexus avulsion: results of 28 patients by DASH and NRS questionnaires
Authors: Liu Y , Lao J , Gao K , Gu Y , Xin Z
Published: November 2011

The objective of this study was to evaluate outcomes of patients who suffered complete brachial plexus avulsion before and after nerve transfers by assessing upper extremity function and pain using the DASH and NRS questionnaires. Patients who underwent nerve transfers improved their DASH and NRS scores compared with before surgery. Although individually there was no correlation with improved scores, the triple combination of rehabilitation exercises, electrical stimulation therapy and neurotrophic drugs postoperatively correlated positively with improved functional outcomes. This study suggested a positive effect of the passage of time and nerve transfers in total brachial plexus avulsions from patients’ self assessments.
Attitudes, Practices, and Barriers to Adolescent Suicide and Mental Health Screening
Authors: Diamond Guy S. , O’Malley Alana , Wintersteen Matthew B. , Peters Sherry , Yunghans Suzanne , Biddle Virginia , O’Brien Connell , Schrand Susan
Published: November 2011

Objective: To determine primary care providers’ rates of screening for suicide and mental health problems in adolescents and the factors that promote or discourage this practice. Patients and Methods: Overall, 671 medical professionals (ie, pediatricians, family physicians, nurse practitioners, physician assistants) completed an electronic survey. The 53 items focused on (1) attitudes, knowledge, and comfort with general psychosocial and suicide screening and (2) current practices and barriers regarding screening and referrals to behavioral health services. Results: Forty percent had a patient attempt suicide in the past year, and 7.7% had 6 or more patients attempt suicide. At a well visit, 67% screened for mental health, and 35.2% screened for suicide risk. Most (61.1%) primary care providers rarely screened for suicide or only when it was indicated. Only 14.2% of primary care providers often used a standardized suicide screening tool. Factors associated with screening were being knowledgeable about suicide risk, being female, working in an urban setting, and having had a suicidal patient. Only 3.0% reported adequate compensation for these practices, and 44% agreed that primary care providers frequently use physical health billing codes for behavioral health services. Nearly 90% said parent involvement was needed if adolescents were to follow through with referrals to mental health services. Only 21% frequently heard back from the behavioral health providers after a referral was made. Conclusion: Policy that promotes mental health education for primary care providers, provides reimbursement for mental health screening, and encourages better service integration could increase suicide screening and save healthcare costs and patients’ lives.
Role of c-MYC in alternative activation of human macrophages and tumor-associated macrophage biology
Authors: Pello Oscar M. , De Pizzol Maria , Mirolo Massimiliano , Soucek Laura , Zammataro Luca , Amabile Angelo , Doni Andrea , Nebuloni Manuela , Swigart Lamorna B. , Evan Gerard I. , Mantovani Alberto , Locati Massimo
Published: November 2011

In response to microenvironmental signals, macrophages undergo different activation, including the “classic” proinflammatory phenotype (also called M1), the “alternative” activation induced by the IL-4/IL-13 trigger, and the related but distinct heterogeneous M2 polarization associated with the anti-inflammatory profile. The latter is induced by several stimuli, including IL-10 and TGF-β. Macrophage-polarized activation has profound effects on immune and inflammatory responses and in tumor biology, but information on the underlying molecular pathways is scarce. In the present study, we report that alternative polarization of macrophages requires the transcription factor c-MYC. In macrophages, IL-4 and different stimuli sustaining M2-like polarization induce c-MYC expression and its translocation to the nucleus. c-MYC controls the induction of a subset (45%) of genes associated with alternative activation. ChIP assays indicate that c-MYC directly regulates some genes associated with alternative activation, including SCARB1, ALOX15, and MRC1, whereas others, including CD209, are indirectly regulated by c-MYC. c-MYC up-regulates the IL-4 signaling mediators signal transducer and activator of transcription-6 and peroxisome proliferator–activated receptorγ, is also expressed in tumor-associated macrophages, and its inhibition blocks the expression of protumoral genes including VEGF, MMP9, HIF-1α, and TGF-β. We conclude that c-MYC is a key player in alternative macrophage activation, and is therefore a potential therapeutic target in pathologies related to these cells, including tumors.
Identification and characterization of Hoxa9 binding sites in hematopoietic cells
Authors: Huang Yongsheng , Sitwala Kajal , Bronstein Joel , Sanders Daniel , Dandekar Monisha , Collins Cailin , Robertson Gordon , MacDonald James , Cezard Timothee , Bilenky Misha , Thiessen Nina , Zhao Yongjun , Zeng Thomas , Hirst Martin , Hero Alfred , Jones Steven , Hess Jay L.
Published: November 2011

The clustered homeobox proteins play crucial roles in development, hematopoiesis, and leukemia, yet the targets they regulate and their mechanisms of action are poorly understood. Here, we identified the binding sites for Hoxa9 and the Hox cofactor Meis1 on a genome-wide level and profiled their associated epigenetic modifications and transcriptional targets. Hoxa9 and the Hox cofactor Meis1 cobind at hundreds of highly evolutionarily conserved sites, most of which are distant from transcription start sites. These sites show high levels of histone H3K4 monomethylation and CBP/P300 binding characteristic of enhancers. Furthermore, a subset of these sites shows enhancer activity in transient transfection assays. Many Hoxa9 and Meis1 binding sites are also bound by PU.1 and other lineage-restricted transcription factors previously implicated in establishment of myeloid enhancers. Conditional Hoxa9 activation is associated with CBP/P300 recruitment, histone acetylation, and transcriptional activation of a network of proto-oncogenes, including Erg, Flt3, Lmo2, Myb, and Sox4. Collectively, this work suggests that Hoxa9 regulates transcription by interacting with enhancers of genes important for hematopoiesis and leukemia.
Activity of alemtuzumab monotherapy in treatment-naive, relapsed, and refractory severe acquired aplastic anemia
Authors: Scheinberg Phillip , Nunez Olga , Weinstein Barbara , Scheinberg Priscila , Wu Colin O. , Young Neal S.
Published: November 2011

Antithymocyte globulin (ATG) + cyclosporine is effective in restoring hematopoiesis in severe aplastic anemia (SAA). We hypothesized that the humanized anti-CD52 mAb alemtuzumab might be active in SAA because of its lymphocytotoxic properties. We investigated alemtuzumab monotherapy from 2003-2010 in treatment-naive, relapsed, and refractory SAA in 3 separate research protocols at the National Institutes of Health. Primary outcome was hematologic response at 6 months. For refractory disease, patients were randomized between rabbit ATG + cyclosporine (n = 27) and alemtuzumab (n = 27); the response rate for alemtuzumab was 37% (95% confidence interval [CI], 18%-57%) and for rabbit ATG 33% (95% CI, 14%-52%; P = .78). The 3-year survival was 83% (95% CI, 68%-99%) for alemtuzumab and 60% (95% CI, 43%-85%) for rabbit ATG (P = .16). For relapsed disease (n = 25), alemtuzumab was administered in a single-arm study; the response rate was 56% (95% CI, 35%-77%) and the 3-year survival was 86% (95% CI, 72%-100%). In treatment-naive patients (n = 16), alemtuzumab was compared with horse and rabbit ATG in a 3-arm randomized study; the response rate was 19% (95% CI 0%-40%), and the alemtuzumab arm was discontinued early. We conclude that alemtuzumab is effective in SAA, but best results are obtained in the relapsed and refractory settings. The present trials were registered at www.clinicaltrials.gov as NCT00195624, NCT00260689, and NCT00065260.
Maturation and function of human dendritic cells are regulated by B lymphocytes
Authors: Morva Ahsen , Lemoine Sébastien , Achour Achouak , Pers Jacques-Olivier , Youinou Pierre , Jamin Christophe
Published: November 2011

Mature dendritic cells (DCs) are stimulators of T-cell immune response, whereas immature DCs support T-cell tolerance. Murine B cells can inhibit the production of IL-12 by DCs and thereby hinder the inflammatory response. Notwithstanding the importance of this modulation, only a few studies are available in humans. Here, we have developed an in vitro model of cocultures to assess its significance. We establish that human activated B cells restrained the development of monocytes into immature DCs and their differentiation into mature DCs. In addition, they decreased the density of HLA-DR from mature DCs, the expression of CD80 and CD86 coactivation molecules, the production of IL-12p70 required for antigen presentation and Th1 differentiation, and inhibited the DC-induced T-cell proliferation. These modulations were mediated by CD19+IgDlowCD38+CD24lowCD27− B cells and needed direct cell-to-cell contacts that involved CD62L for the control of CD80 and CD86 expression and a soluble factor for the control of IL-12 production. Moreover, mature DCs from patients with systemic lupus erythematosus displayed insensitivity to the regulation of IL-12. Overall, it appears that human B cells can regulate DC maturation and function and that inefficient B-cell regulation may influence an improper balance between an effector inflammatory response and tolerance induction.
Stability of the second order partial differential equations
Authors: Gordji M Eshaghi , Cho YJ , Ghaemi MB , Alizadeh B
Published: November 2011

We say that a functional equation (ξ) is stable if any function g satisfying the functional equation (ξ) approximately is near to a true solution of (ξ).

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2000 Mathematics Subject Classification. 26D10; 34K20; 39B52; 39B82; 46B99.
Genetic diversity of group A rotaviruses associated with repeated outbreaks of diarrhea in a farrow-to-finish farm: identification of a porcine rotavirus strain bearing a novel VP7 genotype, G26
Authors: Miyazaki Ayako , Kuga Kazufumi , Suzuki Tohru , Kohmoto Mariko , Katsuda Ken , Tsunemitsu Hiroshi
Published: November 2011

Group A rotaviruses (GARs) are one of the most common causes of diarrhea in suckling pigs. Although a number of G and P genotypes have been identified in porcine GARs, few attempts have been made to study the molecular epidemiology of these viruses associated with diarrhea outbreaks within a farm over an extended period of time. Here, we investigated the molecular characteristics of GARs that caused four outbreaks of diarrhea among suckling pigs in a farrow-to-finish farm over the course of a year. G and P genotyping of GARs detected at each outbreak demonstrated genetic diversity in this farm as follows: G9P[23] was detected at the first outbreak, G9P[13]/[22] and G9P[23] at the second, G3P[7] at the third, and G9P[23], G5P[13]/[22], and P[7] combined with an untypeable G genotype at the fourth. Sequence analysis of the detected GARs revealed that such genetic diversity could have resulted not only from the introduction of new GAR strains, but also from gene reassortment between GAR strains within the farm. Further, the GAR strain carrying the untypeable G genotype was shown to be a novel porcine GAR bearing a new G26 genotype, as confirmed by the Rotavirus Classification Working Group.
Ischemic postconditioning attenuates liver warm ischemia-reperfusion injury through Akt-eNOS-NO-HIF pathway
Authors: Guo Jia Y , Yang Tong , Sun Xiang G , Zhou Ni Y , Li Fu S , Long Dan , Lin Tao , Li Ping Y , Feng Li
Published: November 2011

Background

Ischemic postconditioning (IPO) has been demonstrated to attenuate ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) injury in the heart and brain, its roles to liver remain to be defined. The study was undertaken to determine if IPO would attenuate liver warm I/R injury and its protective mechanism.

Methods

Mice were divided into sham, I/R, IPO+I/R (occlusing the porta hepatis for 60 min, then treated for three cycles of 10 sec brief reperfusion consecutively, followed by a persistent reperfusion); L-NAME+ sham (L-NAME, 16 mg/kg, i.v., 5 min before repefusion); L-NAME+I/R; and L-NAME+ IPO. Blood flow of caudate and left lobe of the liver was blocked. Functional and morphologic changes of livers were evaluated. Contents of nitric oxide, eNOS and iNOS in serum were assayed. Concentration of eNOS, iNOS, malondialdehyde (MDA) and activity of superoxide dismutase (SOD) in hepatic tissue were also measured. Expressions of Akt, p-Akt and HIF-1α protein were determined by western blot. Expressions of TNF-α and ICAM-1 were measured by immunohistochemistry and RT-PCR.

Results

IPO attenuated the dramatically functional and morphological injuries. The levels of ALT was significantly reduced in IPO+I/R group (p < 0.05). Contents of nitric oxide and eNOS in serum were increased in the IPO+I/R group (p < 0.05). IPO also up-regulated the concentration of eNOS, activity of SOD in hepatic tissue (p < 0.05), while reduced the concentration of MDA (p < 0.05). Moreover, protein expressions of HIF-1α and p-Akt were markedly enhanced in IPO+I/R group. Protein and mRNA expression of TNF-α and ICAM-1 were markedly suppressed by IPO (p < 0.05). These protective effects of IPO could be abolished by L-NAME.

Conclusions

We found that IPO increased the content of NO and attenuated the overproduction of ROS and I/R-induced inflammation. Increased NO contents may contribute to increasing HIF-1α level, and HIF-1α and NO would simultaneously protect liver from I/R injury. These findings suggested IPO may have the therapeutic potential through Akt-eNOS-NO-HIF pathway for the better management of liver I/R injury.
Validity of the international physical activity questionnaire and the Singapore prospective study program physical activity questionnaire in a multiethnic urban Asian population
Authors: Nang Ei Ei Khaing , Gitau Ngunjiri Susan Ayuko , Wu Yi , Salim Agus , Tai E Shyong , Lee Jeannette , Van Dam Rob M
Published: November 2011

Background

Physical activity patterns of a population remain mostly assessed by the questionnaires. However, few physical activity questionnaires have been validated in Asian populations. We previously utilized a combination of different questionnaires to assess leisure time, transportation, occupational and household physical activity in the Singapore Prospective Study Program (SP2). The International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ) has been developed for a similar purpose. In this study, we compared estimates from these two questionnaires with an objective measure of physical activity in a multi-ethnic Asian population.

Methods

Physical activity was measured in 152 Chinese, Malay and Asian Indian adults using an accelerometer over five consecutive days, including a weekend. Participants completed both the physical activity questionnaire in SP2 (SP2PAQ) and IPAQ long form. 43subjects underwent a second set of measurements on average 6 months later to assess reproducibility of the questionnaires and the accelerometer measurements. Spearman correlations were used to evaluate validity and reproducibility and correlations for validity were corrected for within-person variation of accelerometer measurements. Agreement between the questionnaires and the accelerometer measurements was also evaluated using Bland Altman plots.

Results

The corrected correlation with accelerometer estimates of energy expenditure from physical activity was better for the SP2PAQ (vigorous activity: r = 0.73; moderate activity: r = 0.27) than for the IPAQ (vigorous activity: r = 0.31; moderate activity: r = 0.15). For moderate activity, the corrected correlation between SP2PAQ and the accelerometer was higher for Chinese (r = 0.38) and Malays (r = 0.57) than for Indians (r = -0.09). Both questionnaires overestimated energy expenditure from physical activity to a greater extent at higher levels of physical activity than at lower levels of physical activity. The reproducibility for moderate activity (accelerometer: r = 0.68; IPAQ: r = 0.58; SP2PAQ: r = 0.55) and vigorous activity (accelerometer: 0.52; IPAQ: r = 0.38; SP2PAQ: r = 0.75) was moderate to high for all instruments.

Conclusion

The agreement between IPAQ and accelerometer measurements of energy expenditure from physical activity was poor in our Asian study population. The SP2PAQ showed good validity and reproducibility for vigorous activity, but performed less well for moderate activity particularly in Indians. Further effort is needed to develop questionnaires that better capture moderate activity in Asian populations.
Prediction of intracranial findings on CT-scans by alternative modelling techniques
Authors: van der Ploeg Tjeerd , Smits Marion , Dippel Diederik W , Hunink Myriam , Steyerberg Ewout W
Published: November 2011

Background

Prediction rules for intracranial traumatic findings in patients with minor head injury are designed to reduce the use of computed tomography (CT) without missing patients at risk for complications. This study investigates whether alternative modelling techniques might improve the applicability and simplicity of such prediction rules.

Methods

We included 3181 patients with minor head injury who had received CT scans between February 2002 and August 2004. Of these patients 243 (7.6%) had intracranial traumatic findings and 17 (0.5%) underwent neurosurgical intervention. We analyzed sensitivity, specificity and area under the ROC curve (AUC-value) to compare the performance of various modelling techniques by 10 × 10 cross-validation. The techniques included logistic regression, Bayes network, Chi-squared Automatic Interaction Detection (CHAID), neural net, support vector machines, Classification And Regression Trees (CART) and "decision list" models.

Results

The cross-validated performance was best for the logistic regression model (AUC 0.78), followed by the Bayes network model and the neural net model (both AUC 0.74). The other models performed poorly (AUC < 0.70). The advantage of the Bayes network model was that it provided a graphical representation of the relationships between the predictors and the outcome.

Conclusions

No alternative modelling technique outperformed the logistic regression model. However, the Bayes network model had a presentation format which provided more detailed insights into the structure of the prediction problem. The search for methods with good predictive performance and an attractive presentation format should continue.
Hsp90β inhibition modulates nitric oxide production and nitric oxide-induced apoptosis in human chondrocytes
Authors: Calamia Valentina , de Andrés Maria C , Oreiro Natividad , Ruiz-Romero Cristina , Blanco Francisco J
Published: November 2011

Background

Hsp90β is a member of the Hsp90 family of protein chaperones. This family plays essential roles in the folding, maturation and activity of many proteins that are involved in signal transduction and transcriptional regulation. The role of this protein in chondrocytes is not well understood, although its increase in osteoarthritic cells has been reported. The present study aimed to explore the role of Hsp90β in key aspects of OA pathogenesis.

Methods

Human OA chondrocytes were isolated from cartilage obtained from patients undergoing joint replacement surgery, and primary cultured. Cells were stimulated with proinflammatory cytokines (IL-1β or TNF-α) and nitric oxide donors (NOC-12 or SNP). For Hsp90β inhibition, two different chemical inhibitors (Geldanamycin and Novobiocin) were employed, or siRNA transfection procedures were carried out. Gene expression was determined by real-time PCR, apoptosis was quantified by flow cytometry and ELISA, and nitric oxide (NO) production was evaluated by the Griess method. Indirect immunofluorescence assays were performed to evaluate the presence of Hsp90β in stimulated cells.

Results

Hsp90β was found to be increased by proinflammatory cytokines. Inhibition of Hsp90β by the chemicals Geldanamycin (GA) and Novobiocin (NB) caused a dose-dependent decrease of the NO production induced by IL-1β in chondrocytes, up to basal levels. Immunofluorescence analyses demonstrate that the NO donors NOC-12 and SNP also increased Hsp90β. Chemical inhibition or specific gene silencing of this chaperone reduced the DNA condensation and fragmentation, typical of death by apoptosis, that is induced by NO donors in chondrocytes.

Conclusions

The present results show how Hsp90β modulates NO production and NO-mediated cellular death in human OA chondrocytes.
Effects of edible bird's nest (EBN) on cultured rabbit corneal keratocytes
Authors: Zainal Abidin Fadhilah , Hui Chua Kien , Luan Ng Sook , Mohd Ramli Elvy Suhana , Hun Lee Ting , Abd Ghafar Norzana
Published: November 2011

Background

There has been no effective treatment or agent that is available for corneal injury in promoting corneal wound healing. Previous studies on edible bird's nest extract (EBN) had reported the presence of hormone-like substance; avian epidermal growth factor that could stimulate cell division and enhance regeneration. This study aimed to investigate the effects of EBN on corneal keratocytes proliferative capacity and phenotypical changes.

Methods

Corneal keratocytes from six New Zealand White Rabbits were isolated and cultured until Passage 1. The proliferative effects of EBN on corneal keratocytes were determined by MTT assay in serum-containing medium (FDS) and serum-free medium (FD). Keratocytes phenotypical changes were morphologically assessed and gene expression of aldehyde dehydrogenase (ALDH), collagen type 1 and lumican were determined through RT-PCR.

Results

The highest cell proliferation was observed when both media were supplemented with 0.05% and 0.1% EBN. Cell proliferation was also consistently higher in FDS compared to FD. Both phase contrast micrographs and gene expression analysis confirmed the corneal keratocytes retained their phenotypes with the addition of EBN.

Conclusions

These results suggested that low concentration of EBN could synergistically induce cell proliferation, especially in serum-containing medium. This could be a novel breakthrough as both cell proliferation and functional maintenance are important during corneal wound healing. The in vitro test is considered as a crucial first step for nutri-pharmaceutical formation of EBN-based eye drops before in vivo application.
Comparative shotgun proteomic analysis of Clostridium acetobutylicum from butanol fermentation using glucose and xylose
Authors: Sivagnanam Kumaran , Raghavan Vijaya GS , Shah Manesh , Hettich Robert L , Verberkmoes Nathan C , Lefsrud Mark G
Published: November 2011

Background

Butanol is a second generation biofuel produced by Clostridium acetobutylicum through acetone-butanol-ethanol (ABE) fermentation process. Shotgun proteomics provides a direct approach to study the whole proteome of an organism in depth. This paper focuses on shotgun proteomic profiling of C. acetobutylicum from ABE fermentation using glucose and xylose to understand the functional mechanisms of C. acetobutylicum proteins involved in butanol production.

Results

We identified 894 different proteins in C. acetobutylicum from ABE fermentation process by two dimensional - liquid chromatography - tandem mass spectrometry (2D-LC-MS/MS) method. This includes 717 proteins from glucose and 826 proteins from the xylose substrate. A total of 649 proteins were found to be common and 22 significantly differentially expressed proteins were identified between glucose and xylose substrates.

Conclusion

Our results demonstrate that flagellar proteins are highly up-regulated with glucose compared to xylose substrate during ABE fermentation. Chemotactic activity was also found to be lost with the xylose substrate due to the absence of CheW and CheV proteins. This is the first report on the shotgun proteomic analysis of C. acetobutylicum ATCC 824 in ABE fermentation between glucose and xylose substrate from a single time data point and the number of proteins identified here is more than any other study performed on this organism up to this report.
Expression of aldo-keto reductase family 1 member C1 (AKR1C1)gene in porcine ovary and uterine endometrium during the estrous cycle and pregnancy
Authors: Seo Kyeong-Seok , Naidansuren Purevjargal , Kim Sang-Hwan , Yun Seong-Jo , Park Jong-Ju , Sim Bo-Woong , Park Cha-Won , Nanjidsuren Tseeleema , Kang Myung-Hwa , Seo Heewon , Ka Hakhyun , Kim Nam-Hyung , Hwang Sue-Yun , Yoon Jong-Taek , Yamanouchi Keitaro , Min Kwan-Sik
Published: November 2011

Background

The aldo-keto reductase family 1 member C1 (AKR1C1) belongs to a superfamily of NADPH-dependent reductases that convert a wide range of substrates, including carbohydrates, steroid hormones, and endogenous prostaglandins. The 20alpha-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase (20alpha-HSD) is a member of AKR family. The aims of this study were to determine its expression in the ovary and uterus endometrium during the estrous cycle and pregnancy.

Methods

Rapid amplification of cDNA ends (RACE) experiments were performed to obtain the 5' and 3' ends of the porcine20alpha-HSDcDNA. Reverse-transcriptase-PCR (RT-PCR), real-time PCR, northern blot analysis, and western blot analysis were performed to examine the expression of porcine 20alpha-HSD. Immunohistochemical analysis was also performed to determine the localization in the ovary.

Results

The porcine 20alpha-HSD cDNA is 957 bp in length and encodes a protein of 319 amino acids. The cloned cDNA was virtually the same as the porcineAKR1C1gene (337 amino acids) reported recently, and only differed in the C-terminal region (theAKR1C1gene has a longer C-terminal region than our sequence). The20alpha-HSDgene (from now on referred to asAKR1C1) cloned in this paper encodes a deletion of 4 amino acids, compared with the C-terminal region ofAKR1C1genes from other animals. Porcine AKR1C1 mRNA was expressed on day 5, 10, 12, 15 of the cycle and 0-60 of pregnancy in the ovary. The mRNA was also specifically detected in the uterine endometrium on day 30 of pregnancy. Western blot analysis indicated that the pattern of AKR1C1 protein in the ovary during the estrous cycle and uterus during early pregnancy was similar to that ofAKR1C1mRNA expression. The recombinant protein produced in CHO cells was detected at approximately 37 kDa. Immunohistochemical analysis also revealed that pig AKR1C1 protein was localized in the large luteal cells in the early stages of the estrous cycle and before parturition.

Conclusions

Our study demonstrated that AKR1C1 mRNA and protein are coordinately expressed in the luteal cell of ovary throughout the estrous cycle and in the uterus on day 30 of pregnancy. Thus, the porcine AKR1C1 gene might control important mechanisms during the estrous cycle.