bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The histone demethylase UTX enables RB-dependent cell fate control
Authors: Wang Jordon K. , Tsai Miao-Chih , Poulin Gino , Adler Adam S. , Chen Shuzhen , Liu Helen , Shi Yang , Chang Howard Y.
Published: February 2010

Trimethylation of histone H3 on Lys 27 (H3K27me3) is key for cell fate regulation. The H3K27me3 demethylase UTX functions in development and tumor suppression with undefined mechanisms. Here, genome-wide chromatin occupancy analysis of UTX and associated histone modifications reveals distinct classes of UTX target genes, including genes encoding Retinoblastoma (RB)-binding proteins. UTX removes H3K27me3 and maintains expression of several RB-binding proteins, enabling cell cycle arrest. Genetic interactions in mammalian cells and Caenorhabditis elegans show that UTX regulates cell fates via RB-dependent pathways. Thus, UTX defines an evolutionarily conserved mechanism to enable coordinate transcription of a RB network in cell fate control.
Opiate‐induced oesophageal dysmotility
Authors: KRAICHELY R. E. , ARORA A. S. , MURRAY J. A.
Published: February 2010

Aliment Pharmacol Ther 31, 601–606

Background Opiates have well characterized (troublesome) untoward effects on the gastrointestinal tract. Opioid bowel dysfunction has been a subject of research and even drug design, but surprisingly little is known with regard to clinical effects of opiates on the oesophagus.

Aim To characterize opiate effects on motor function of the oesophagus in patients presenting with dysphagia.

Methods Retrospective review of 15 patients with dysphagia referred for oesophageal manometry while on chronic opiates. Manometry was completed during opiate use and in three cases, after opiates were discontinued.

Results All patients demonstrated motility abnormalities. Incomplete lower oesophageal sphincter (LOS) relaxation (11.5 ± 1.6 mmHg) was seen in most cases. Ten patients demonstrated nonperistaltic contractions in ≥3 of 10 swallows. Additional abnormalities included high amplitude contractions; triple peaked contractions; and increased velocity. The average resting lower oesophageal sphincter (LOSP) met criteria for hypertensive LOS in three patients. These features were suggestive of spasm or achalasia. Repeat manometry off opiates was performed in three cases. LOS relaxation was noted to be complete upon repeat manometry in these cases. There was also improved peristalsis and normal velocity.

Conclusions A range of manometric abnormalities were seen in patients with dysphagia in the setting of opiate use: impaired LOS relaxation, high amplitude/velocity and simultaneous oesophageal waves. These data suggest that the oesophagus is susceptible to the effects of opiates and care must be taken before ascribing dysphagia to a primary oesophageal motility disorder in patients taking opiates.
Predicting the advent of ascites and other complications in primary biliary cirrhosis: a staged model approach
Authors: CHAN C.‐W. , TSOCHATZIS E. A. , CARPENTER J. R. , RIGAMONTI C. , GUNSAR F. , BURROUGHS A. K.
Published: February 2010

Aliment Pharmacol Ther 31, 573–582

Background  Current survival models for primary biliary cirrhosis have limited precision for medium and long‐term survival.

Aim  To describe a prognostic model for the advent of complications in primary biliary cirrhosis as the first approach to a staged prognostic model.

Methods  From an established database of 289 consecutive primary biliary cirrhosis patients referred to Royal Free Hospital over 12 years (mean follow‐up of 4.1 years), baseline characteristics at referral were evaluated by Cox‐proportional hazards regression modelling.

Results  The following complications occurred de novo: 85 ascites/peripheral oedema, 40 oesophagogastric varices, 63 encephalopathy, 29 spontaneous bacterial peritonitis and/or septicaemia, 59 symptomatic urinary tract infections. Age, albumin, log10(bilirubin), presence of ascites at referral, variceal bleeding within 6 weeks before referral, detection of oesophagogastric varices at or before referral were significant at multivariate analysis with different combinations and coefficients for each complication. The model for predicting ascites and/or peripheral oedema best fitted the observed data (ROC = 0.7682, S.E. = 0.0385).

Conclusions  The known prognostic factors in primary biliary cirrhosis also model the advent of complications. In view of the prognostic importance of ascites and its more robust statistical model, ascites and/or peripheral oedema could represent, following validation, the most suitable staged model in primary biliary cirrhosis to improve precision in survival modelling.
Role of ants in structuring the aphid community on apple
Authors: MIÑARRO MARCOS , FERNÁNDEZ‐MATA GABRIELA , MEDINA PILAR
Published: February 2010

1. The aphids Dysaphis plantaginea Passerini, Aphis spp. (Aphis pomi De Geer and Aphis spiraecola Patch), and Eriosoma lanigerum Hausmann are commonly found together in apple orchards. Ants establish a mutualistic relationship with the myrmecophilous aphids D. plantaginea and Aphis spp. but not with E. lanigerum.

2. Field surveys and one experiment manipulating the presence of ants and the aphid species were conducted to test the hypothesis that ants play a role in structuring the community of these aphids on apple.

3. Ants tended D. plantaginea and Aphis spp. but not E. lanigerum colonies. In the field, D. plantaginea performed better in the presence of ants while no effect was observed in Aphis spp. Contrarily, populations of Aphis spp. in the manipulative experiment performed better in the presence of ants while no differences were observed for D. plantaginea. Such differences between field and manipulative conditions could be related to thermal tolerance, phenology, and life cycles. In contrast, populations of E. lanigerum were reduced in the presence of ants.

4. Ants also had a significant negative effect on the abundance of natural enemies, which could partially explain the benefits to the tended aphids. However, while ants did not provide a benefit to Aphis spp. when it was reared alone, in the presence of other species ant attendance increased Aphis abundance by 256% and simultaneously reduced E. lanigerum abundance by 63%. Therefore, ants benefited Aphis by reducing competition with other aphid species, which involves a different mechanism, explaining the benefit of ant attendance. Considering all the aphid species together, ants had a net positive effect on aphid abundance, which was consequently considered harmful for the plant.

5. Our results highlighted the role that ants play in structuring apple aphid communities and give support to the observed pattern that ants can benefit tended aphids while simultaneously reducing the abundance of untended herbivores.
Animal models of FVIIa gene expression: their role in the future development of haemophilia treatment
Authors: OBERGFELL A. , NICHOLS T. , EZBAN M.
Published: February 2010

Summary.  The development of inhibitors to replacement factor therapy is a serious complication in the treatment of patients with haemophilia and requires use of bypassing agents to prevent uncontrolled bleeding. The efficacy of recombinant factor VIIa (rFVIIa) as a bypassing agent in patients with haemophilia has been demonstrated in case studies and clinical trials. However, the perception of a short plasma half‐life and consequent need for repeated daily injections means that long‐term prophylaxis could potentially be limiting. Canine haemophilia models using a gene transfer approach have been used to evaluate the continuous expression of FVIIa in dogs. These studies show improvement in measurable bleeding parameters that have important clinical ramifications for patients with haemophilia. The combination of gene transfer as the method of delivery and FVII as the transgene overcomes issues associated with the short plasma half‐life of rFVIIa, and represents a potentially attractive novel approach to haemostasis in patients with haemophilia and other platelet disorders.
Disruption of chemoreceptor signalling arrays by high levels of CheW, the receptor–kinase coupling protein
Authors: Cardozo Marcos J. , Massazza Diego A. , Parkinson John S. , Studdert Claudia A.
Published: February 2010

During chemotactic signalling by Escherichia coli, the small cytoplasmic CheW protein couples the histidine kinase CheA to chemoreceptor control. Although essential for assembly and operation of receptor signalling complexes, CheW in stoichiometric excess disrupts chemotactic behaviour. To explore the mechanism of the CheW excess effect, we measured the physiological consequences of high cellular levels of wild‐type CheW and of several CheW variants with reduced or enhanced binding affinities for receptor molecules. We found that high levels of CheW interfered with trimer assembly, prevented CheA activation, blocked cluster formation, disrupted chemotactic ability and elevated receptor methylation levels. The severity of these effects paralleled the receptor‐binding affinities of the CheW variants. Because trimer formation may be an obligate step in the assembly of ternary signalling complexes and higher‐order receptor arrays, we suggest that all CheW excess effects stem from disruption of trimer assembly. We propose that the CheW‐binding sites in receptor dimers overlap their trimer contact sites and that high levels of CheW saturate the receptor‐binding sites, preventing trimer assembly. The CheW‐trapped receptor dimers seem to be improved substrates for methyltransferase reactions, but cannot activate CheA or assemble into clusters, processes that are essential for chemotactic signalling.
Examination of the interaction between FtsZ and MinCN in E. coli suggests how MinC disrupts Z rings
Authors: Shen Bang , Lutkenhaus Joe
Published: February 2010

In Escherichia coli the Min system prevents Z ring assembly at cell poles by topologically regulating the division inhibitor MinC. The MinC protein has two domains of equal size and both domains can target FtsZ and block cell division in the proper context. Recently, we have shown that, along with MinD, the C‐terminal domain of MinC (MinCC) competes with FtsA, and to a lesser extent with ZipA, for interaction with the C‐terminal tail of FtsZ to block division. Here we explored the interaction between the N‐terminal domain of MinC (MinCN) and FtsZ. A search for mutations in ftsZ that confer resistance to MinCN identified an α‐helix at the interface of FtsZ subunits as being critical for the activity of MinCN. Focusing on one such mutant FtsZ–N280D, we showed that it greatly reduced the FtsZ–MinC interaction and was resistant to MinCN both in vivo and in vitro. With these results, an updated model for the action of MinC on FtsZ is proposed: MinC interacts with FtsZ to disrupt two interactions, FtsZ–FtsA/ZipA and FtsZ–FtsZ, both of which are essential for Z ring formation.
Laparoscopic artificial urinary sphincter implantation for female genuine stress urinary incontinence: technique and 4‐year experience in 25 patients
Authors: Mandron Eric , Bryckaert Pierre‐Emmannuel , Papatsoris Athanasios G.
Published: February 2010

Study Type – Therapy (outcomes research) Level of Evidence 2c

OBJECTIVE

To assess the safety, feasibility and efficacy of laparoscopic implantation of the artificial urinary sphincter (AUS) in women with genuine stress urinary incontinence (SUI).

PATIENTS AND METHODS

From April 2005 to July 2009, 25 women (mean age 66.8 years) with genuine SUI had a laparoscopic implantation of the AUS (AMS 800TM, American Medical Systems, Minnetonka, MN, USA). Patients had a negative Marshall test and urodynamic studies showed decreased closure pressure. All patients had a history of urogynaecological surgery. Transperitoneal laparoscopic access was created with two midline 10‐mm and two lateral 5‐mm trocars. One of the lateral port incisions was later extended to facilitate urethrovaginal dissection with scissors and dissector, and the insertion and assembly of the AUS. In six cases of concomitant genito‐urinary prolapse, laparoscopic anterior and posterior mesh promontofixation was also performed.

RESULTS

The AUS was successfully implanted in all cases with no conversion to open surgery. There were no intra‐ or perioperative complications, except one vaginal perforation which was repaired during surgery. The mean operative duration was 92 min (71 min without and 123 min with simultaneous promontofixation). Five patients developed urinary retention, which was managed with re‐insertion of the urethral catheter for 2 days in four and with insertion of a suprapubic catheter for 4 weeks in a patient with spina bifida. During the mean follow‐up of 26.1 months, two treatment failures were diagnosed due to vaginal erosion and were managed with removal of the AUS. All the remaining 23 patients reported continence, either complete (in 19) or social (in four). However, this was not a randomized comparative study.

CONCLUSION

Laparoscopic implantation of the AUS in women with genuine SUI is safe, feasible and efficient.
Comparison of the prognostic importance of diagnosed diabetes, co‐morbidity and frailty in older people
Authors: Hubbard R. E. , Andrew M. K. , Fallah N. , Rockwood K.
Published: February 2010

Diabet. Med. 27, 603–606 (2010)

Aims  To compare the relative prognostic importance in older people of diagnosed diabetes, the number and severity of co‐morbidities and frailty.

Methods  Two thousand three hundred and five people aged ≥ 70 years comprised the clinical examination cohort of the Canadian Study of Health and Aging. Frailty was defined as a score of ≥ 5 on a 7‐point Clinical Frailty Scale. The cohort was followed for 5 years.

Results  Diabetes was more likely to be associated with medium‐term mortality (adjusted hazard ratio (HR) 1.42; 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.20–1.69) than co‐morbidity (HR 1.03; 95% CI 1.01–1.05). Frailty most strongly predicted death (HR 2.72; 95% CI 2.34–3.16). Frail older adults were 2.62 times (95% CI 1.36–5.06) more likely to have a complication of diabetes, independent of age, sex and number of years living with diabetes. People with diabetes were younger than those without (81.3 vs. 83.3 years) but a similar proportion were frail (42.2 vs.43.4%). The median life expectancy for frail older adults with diabetes was 23 months (95% CI 18–28 months).

Conclusions  In this cohort, the risk of mortality in older people was defined more precisely by a clinical measure of frailty than by diabetes or burden of co‐morbidity. Those with diagnosed diabetes were younger than those without but had the same frailty status; diabetes can therefore be considered to increase ‘biological age’ by 2 years in those aged over 70 years. The limited life expectancy of frail older people with diabetes highlights the importance of recognizing frailty and supports the individualization of care in older people with diabetes.
Maternal and neonatal outcomes and time trends of gestational diabetes mellitus in Sweden from 1991 to 2003
Authors: Fadl H. E. , Östlund I. K. M. , Magnuson A. F. K. , Hanson U. S. B.
Published: February 2010

Diabet. Med. 27, 436–441 (2010)

Aims  To determine maternal and neonatal outcomes for women with gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) in Sweden during 1991–2003, and to compare the outcomes in the two time periods.

Methods  This is a population‐based cohort study using the Swedish Medical Birth Register data for the period 1991–2003. There were 1 260 297 women with singleton pregnancies registered during this time, of whom 10 525 were diagnosed with GDM, based on a 75 g oral glucose tolerance test. The main diagnostic criteria were fasting capillary whole blood glucose ≥ 6.1 mmol/l and 2 h blood glucose ≥ 9.0 mmol/l.

Results  Maternal characteristics differed significantly between the GDM and non‐GDM group. Adjusted odds ratios (OR) were as follows: for pre‐eclampsia, 1.81 (95% confidence interval (CI) 1.64–2.00); for shoulder dystocia, 2.74 (2.04–3.68); and for Caesarean section, 1.46 (1.38–1.54). No difference was seen in perinatal mortality, stillbirth rates, Apgar scores, fetal distress or transient tachypnoea. There was a markedly higher risk of large for gestational age, OR 3.43 (3.21–3.67), and Erb’s palsy, OR 2.56 (1.96–3.32), in the GDM group, and statistically significant differences in prematurity < 37 weeks, birth weight > 4.5 kg, and major malformation, OR 1.19–1.71. No statistically significant improvement in outcomes was seen between the two study periods.

Conclusions  Women with GDM have higher risks of pre‐eclampsia, shoulder dystocia and Caesarean section. Their infants are often large for gestational age and have higher risks of prematurity, Erb’s palsy and major malformations. These outcomes did not improve over time.
Conceptualising Curriculum Knowledge Within and Beyond the National Context
Authors: KARSETH BERIT , SIVESIND KIRSTEN
Published: February 2010

The core theme of this article is the implications of a global language for the curriculum and how it can be dealt with in terms of content knowledge and reform. First, the article conceptualises curriculum from the perspective of schooling within a geographical territory, symbolising its own cultural history and the nation as a key agent in reform. Second, it takes a closer look at current reform designs and asks how they represent equivalent but also contrasting arguments and rationales about curriculum beyond the national. Third, the article discusses implications of globalisation for curriculum pertaining to both cultivation and qualification as indispensable parts of education and schooling. The main empirical point of departure is the formal curriculum guidelines in Norway, written policy documents, expert reports and evaluation frameworks, written within the last two decades. Through the application of a new language for change, these documents advocate world‐wide expectations which could harmonise curriculum across national boarders. However, the design of the reform is of core significance in standardisation processes, and highly dependent on the way matters and meanings are conceptualised in the professional semantics which accompany reform efforts within and beyond the national context.
Revisiting School Knowledge: some sociological perspectives on new school curricula
Authors: WHITTY GEOFF
Published: February 2010

This article focuses on attempts to understand how the curriculum and pedagogy can help to reduce inequalities in the outcomes of schooling between those from higher and lower socio‐economic backgrounds. In the 1970s, the author was involved with Michael F.D. Young and others in the development of the so‐called ‘new’ sociology of education. Much of this work entailed laying bare the assumptions underlying the school curriculum and demonstrating how the selection of school knowledge was implicated in the reproduction of social inequalities. During the 1980s in England the curriculum was overtly politicised by the Thatcher government but the interests of sociologists of education moved increasingly away from the sociology of school knowledge to focus instead on the sociology of education policy. This paper identifies a recent tendency on the part of sociologists of education to return to the ‘knowledge question’. In particular, it examines Young's own role in this and his attempts to revisit and revise of his earlier position. Contemporary developments in curricular policy in England and Northern Ireland are then outlined and discussed. Finally, the paper considers whether the work of Basil Bernstein, particularly his concepts of classification/framing and recognition/realisation rules, might help us to address one of the prevailing political problems of many modern education systems — the systematic failure of socially disadvantaged pupils to perform well at school.
Learning from recovery after Hurricane Mitch
Authors: Christoplos Ian , Rodríguez Tomás , Schipper E. Lisa F. , Narvaez Eddy Alberto , Bayres Mejia Karla Maria , Buitrago Rolando , Gómez Ligia , Pérez Francisco J.
Published: February 2010

This paper reviews how Nicaragua has recovered from Hurricane Mitch of October 1998. In particular, it examines how the assumptions and claims that were made during initial recovery planning have proven relevant in light of subsequent development.2 One must consider the response to Hurricane Mitch from the perspective of the broader trends that have driven recovery, including household, community and government initiatives and the wider economic context. Recovery efforts have not ‘transformed’ Nicaragua. In fact, market upheavals and livelihood changes in rural areas have had a more profound impact on poverty profiles than recovery programmes. Social protection programmes have been piloted, but patron–client ties and relations with aid providers are still more reliable sources of support in a time of crisis. Risk reduction has become more deeply integrated into the rural development discourse than was the case before the disaster, but risk reduction initiatives continue to place undue emphasis on hazard response rather than addressing vulnerability.
The far side: the meta functions of humanitarianism in a globalised world
Authors: Donini Antonio
Published: February 2010

This paper explores the meta functions of humanitarianism—that is, the functions that, as an ideology, a movement and a profession, it performs, wittingly or unwittingly, in the early twenty‐first century.1The term humanitarianism is used as shorthand to encompass a complex set of currents of thought, actions and institutions of which the boundaries are unclear. The focus is on mainstream humanitarianism, the dominant Northern/Western enterprise. The paper first discusses the relationship between humanitarianism and globalised power. It goes on to examine three types of functions that humanitarianism and humanitarian action perform: ‘macro’ functions—the deep undercurrents, power relations and values that humanitarianism articulates and transmits; ‘meso’ functions—those that relate to the political economy of humanitarian action and to the mechanics (rather than to the ideology) of globalisation; and ‘micro’ functions that relate to the motivations of the individuals who devote their energies to humanitarianism.
Heart of darkness reinvented? A tale of ex‐soldiers in the Democratic Republic of Congo (Respond to this article at http://www.therai.org.uk/at/debate)
Authors: Bangstad Sindre , Bertelsen Bjørn Enge
Published: February 2010

This article presents the contemporary case of two Norwegian ex‐soldiers sentenced to death for murder, espionage and mercenary activity in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). It analyses the wider context of the historical roots of Norwegian engagement in the Congo (now DRC) as well as the mass‐mediated discourses centring around the tropes of a Conradian ‘Heart of darkness’. Further, using the insights of Johannes Fabian's seminal work on exploration, ethnography and representation (2000), it argues that contemporary Norwegian discourses on the Congo are steeped in the tradition of travelogues. Secondly, also drawing on Fabian, it argues that by representing the DRC as a topos ‐ a space without a place ‐ these discourses uncritically reproduce notions of decontextualised radical alterity.
‘Spreading grace’ in post‐Soviet Russia (Respond to this article at http://www.therai.org.uk/at/debate)
Authors: Benovska‐Sabkova Milena , Köllner Tobias , Komáromi Tünde , Ładykowska Agata , Tocheva Detelina , Zigon Jarrett
Published: February 2010

The article addresses the revival of Russian Orthodoxy as a prominent domain in the lives of many Russians. The six authors are interested in the underlying question: What makes Russian Orthodoxy a relevent and modern source of morality and identity? The circumstances of this branch of Christianity significantly differ from what has been discussed in recent years as ‘the anthropology of Christianity’. The article proposes a thematic approach in order to connect the exploration of Russian Orthodoxy to the study of other denominations. A key‐area is the disctinctive articulation between continuity and change, which is crucial to the understanding of some branches of Protestantism as well.
Anthropology and the military: AFRICOM, ‘culture’ and future of Human Terrain Analysis (Respond to this article at http://www.therai.org.uk/at/debate)
Authors: Albro Robert
Published: February 2010

This article updates new developments in the evolution of the US Army's controversial Human Terrain System program (HTS). Building upon the recent report on the HTS program by the American Anthropological Association's Commission on the Engagement of Anthropology with the Security and Intelligence Communities, this article discusses how HTS‐type arrangements are becoming part of the US Department of Defense's (DoD's) newest Combatant Command for the continent of Africa, or AFRICOM. Of particular note is the way “human terrain” no longer refers simply to the HTS program, but has acquired expanded reference to describe a broader array of approaches to the leveraging of socio‐cultural knowledge within DoD. Most notably for AFRICOM, this includes moving beyond rapid assessment ethnography to incorporate cultural data into the predictive work of cultural modelling, as this informs the implementation both of counterinsurgency doctrine as well as military humanitarianism in Africa and elsewhere. This article explores the ethical, practical and cultural implications of such a turn.
DECONSTRUCTING THE SECULAR MAGISTERIUM: VOICES PAST AND PRESENT FOR CONVERSATIONS OF THE FUTURE
Authors: LAKIES CHAD
Published: February 2010

In this paper I offer a possible approach to accomplishing Benedict's goal proposed in his Regensburg address.1 I take his goal to be twofold. First, we must expand our concept of reason beyond the privileged position of scientific empiricism and philosophical reasoning, both of which form what I have called the Secular Magisterium, put in place as the dominant intellectual force by the Enlightenment. Second, the motivation for expanding our concept of reason is for the purpose of greater dialogue across cultures, across religions and across academic disciplines. Since I take Benedict's goal to be twofold, my paper will address these issues in two parts, the second building from the first.

In the first section, I will revisit the counter‐Enlightenment thinking of some well known, yet significantly marginalized voices, with the goal of hearing them again and reviving their critique to inform our own. By the end of this section, I will offer what I take to be a counter‐Enlightenment approach to knowing our world by means of an expanded concept of reason. In the second section, I will address what I take to be some of the more intellectual challenges to the possibilities for conversation across cultures, religions, and disciplines. It is my goal to show how an embodied version of the counter‐Enlightenment approach I offer in the first section can allow for genuine conversation that not only provides opportunities to better know our conversation partners, but also offers the possibility of honest persuasion in which the other sees reality differently and considers this way better.
Alternative Model of Funding for Academic Research in Nigerian Universities
Authors: Olayiwola Shina
Published: February 2010

Funding of academic research in Nigerian universities by Government (5 per cent recurrent grants) is a policy dictated by the National Universities Commission (NUC) as the central body for allocating research funds. This research fund, little as it is, is irregular and inadequate and to make it worse is difficult to access. These aforementioned factors have contributed to the decline in research activity as a means of attaining sustainable development in Nigeria. Thus, this article proposes a dual support system of funding academic research as follows: a devolution of the power of the NUC as the central body for administering research funds and the encouragement of another separate body such as the Education Tax Fund (ETF) to promote a healthy competitive research process and collaborative research among university research groups and individuals. These separate bodies (NUC and ETF) should be similar to the dual support system of operation, policies and procedures in the UK, where there is the Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE) and the Research Councils. These bodies collaborate to build and maintain a sustainable research base in the UK. The dual support system as it is operated in the UK is very efficient in backing research in universities, because the research is supported at a marginal cost and provides a research council component of provision irrespective of geographical location.
A novel two‐step kit for topical treatment of tinea pedis – an open study
Authors: Shemer A , Grunwald MH , Davidovici B , Nathansohn N , Amichai B
Published: February 2010

Background  Tinea pedis is a common skin disease affecting most of the population during their lifetime. Topical and systemic treatments give only temporary relief.

Objective  To evaluate the efficacy and safety of a new topical treatment for moderate‐to‐severe tinea pedis.

Methods  Fifty patients suffering from tinea pedis were treated in two stages: the active stage – single use of the novel topical solution for 45 min and novel cream twice weekly for 4 weeks; the preventive stage – cream application once weekly for 10 months.

Results  Forty‐five patients completed the active stage and achieved 76% cure rate. The medication was well tolerated; one patient dropped from the study because of very mild irritation. No other topical or systemic side effects were noted. Another five patients were lost to follow‐up during the preventive stage. The total cure rate after the preventive stage was 70%.

Conclusions  This novel treatment was found to be effective, well tolerated and safe in the treatment of moderate and severe tinea pedis during the active and the preventive stages.
The EMF uncertainty problem related to mobile phones: where do consumers place their trust?
Authors: Berg Lisbet , Slettemeås Dag , Throne‐Holst Harald
Published: February 2010

This paper addresses the uncertainty problem, i.e. cases characterized by lack of knowledge or scientific uncertainty. In such situations, it can be hard for consumers to ‘voice’ or practise consumer power. One field characterized by the uncertainty problem is electromagnetic radiation. An explicit goal of this study has been to articulate Norwegian consumers' practices, attitudes and beliefs regarding electromagnetic radiation from mobile phones to public authorities and consumer policy makers.

The study was based on 1000 telephone interviews collected in 2008. Today, experts disagree on the potential health effects of radiation from electromagnetic fields (EMF), as well as standards for safe limits of exposure to mobile phones, base stations and wireless telecommunication systems. In addition, complicated technology and extremely rapid product development and diffusion leave consumers' security considerations to their own beliefs and trust. Whether or not electromagnetic radiation from mobile phones constitutes a health hazard will not be addressed in this paper. Rather, it will focus on how consumers react to this situation of uncertainty.

The material reveals four main ways in which consumers can solve what we have named the EMF uncertainty problem: the confident and comfortable way, the sceptical and cautious way, the responsible and good citizen way, and finally, the neglecting way.

The paper also discusses the precautionary principle related to EMF. Who should be precautionary: the public authorities, the mobile phone industry or the consumers themselves? We believe that a consistent governmental precautionary policy in combination with consumers taking their own precautionary measures is a viable solution. In this way, all consumers would be addressed and aided when navigating this field of uncertainty.
Capturing the voice of older consumers in relation to financial products and services
Authors: Brennan Carol , Ritch Elaine
Published: February 2010

The purpose of this pilot study was to focus on the suitability of selected financial products for older people. Bank accounts and equity release products were selected for this study by an expert advisory panel. New marketing initiatives are being used to promote bank accounts, including forms of insurance, for the ‘50+’ market. Also, older people are now expected to provide for their retirement and it is anticipated that equity release will be one product which may be used to fund and maintain consumer lifestyles. In the first phase of the study, a questionnaire was distributed to 152 people aged over 50 years in Scotland. Eighty‐three were completed, a response rate of 55%. The results informed the development of questions for the second phase which were discussed with 46 participants via the World Café in June 2008, enabling a deeper insight into their opinions. The research found that consumers had lost trust in financial product and service providers because of the perceived excessive profits of banks and lack of customer service. Further, many products and services were prohibited for or incurred extra costs to those aged over 60 or 65 years, leaving limited choices, and equity release products were seen as a last resort for those in financial difficulty. Although the profitability of banks has changed dramatically since the completion of data collection, the issues identified by older consumers in Scotland will be of international interest. The demographic changes resulting in an increasing proportion of elderly people in the population are reflected throughout the UK and many Organisation for Economic Co‐operation and Development countries. Similar financial products and services, which were the focus of this study, are promoted internationally, offering opportunities to replicate the research methods.
Consumer voices: adoption of residential energy‐efficient practices
Authors: Niemeyer Shirley
Published: February 2010

The purpose of this research is to identify constraining variables that may impinge on adopting energy‐efficient practices, materials, equipment and technology in households. The intent is to uncover relationships of attitudes, beliefs, knowledge and other resource constraints to: (1) existing housing adaptations and adjustments for energy efficiency; and (2) more efficient use of energy in homes. A second objective is to identify existing practices used to reduce energy use and the adaptations made to the existing structure, materials, equipment and technology for energy efficiency as well as their intentions to make future adaptations. Constraint variables include knowledge of existing energy‐efficient practices and technology; economic constraints (household income, cost as a problem, financial need and existing energy costs); obstacles to making changes (lack of information, assistance, time, cooperation, trained persons and the condition of home); and demographic variables (age, education level and urban/rural). Attitude and belief constraints include measures of felt responsibility for energy use‐related actions that impact the natural resources and environment, and measures of concern. These constraints may impinge on or contribute to making energy‐efficient changes in residential households. Questionnaires were mailed to a random stratified sample of 800 households in Nebraska (US state) in April and May of 2008, resulting in a 29% return rate. The analysis indicates that the research produced information about constraining factors that impact the existing energy‐efficiency levels of households. The use of energy‐efficient equipment and technology, and behaviour practices that reduce energy use are related to those barriers. However, residential energy use and behaviour change result from a range of psychological and contextual influences on behaviour. Behaviour is often inconsistent with attitudes because of the presence of various constraining factors that preclude consistency with behaviour. Educational programmes have a challenging task if they are to alter attitudes and norms to overcome situational constraints. It may be more fruitful to educate and to remove the constraints impinging on those who already have a positive attitude about the need to increase energy efficiency for whatever reason.
The link between diet and health: an exploratory study of adolescents in Northern Ireland using foodmaps
Authors: Walsh Aoibéann , Nelson Roy
Published: February 2010

A significant proportion of consumers in the UK continue to adopt a diet consisting largely of nutritionally unbalanced foods. The adolescent period has been identified as being formative in the development of long‐term eating habits as the individual achieves greater control over their food choice. By examining the current eating behaviour of a sample of adolescents, the aim of this study was to establish why they are not utilizing their knowledge to choose nutritionally balanced foods. A two‐stage data collecting procedure was adopted. In stage 1, respondents (n = 136) completed a questionnaire that measured demographic and social factors, knowledge, attitudes, pre‐existing behaviour with respect to food and the influence of family, peers, the media and government campaigns on their eating behaviour. In stage 2, a subsection of the respondents (n = 20) completed a foodmap, which revealed the network of relationships involved in the adolescents' decision‐making process by identifying the links among the foods consumed, the people they eat with and the places they eat in. Results emphasized the importance of the home environment and the continuing influence of parents on adolescents' eating behaviour despite the greater independence related to this stage of the life cycle. A proportion of the sample was found to have recognized the need to change their eating behaviour in order to lose weight, because of their sporting commitments or to improve their health. Recommendations from this study include the need for the various agencies involved in the promotion of balanced dietary behaviour to attend to the link among adult, family and adolescent, and the need for greater progress in enabling consumers to translate the theory of nutritional education into practice.
Exploring consumers' preferences with regard to department and specialist food stores
Authors: Jacobs Sunelle , Van Der Merwe Daleen , Lombard Ené , Kruger Nadia
Published: February 2010

Consumers' lifestyle changes and striving towards better time management have resulted in the greater choice they are offered with regard to store formats. Therefore, this study was undertaken to identify the factors that influence consumers in their patronage of a particular store format and to categorize department and specialist food store consumers according to their preferences in store layout and product range in a South African context. A qualitative research approach was used and data were collected using semi‐structured interviews with open‐ended questions. Purposive sampling recruited participants shopping for food in a department store in Johannesburg. Forty semi‐structured interviews were conducted before data saturation was reached. Store‐related factors such as store location, appearance and hygiene, service quality, convenience of trading hours, and consistency in store layout predominantly influenced participants in their patronage of a specific store format. Furthermore, product‐related factors such as quality, price, product range and convenient packaging enhanced consumers' store preference. Department store consumers were orientated towards one‐stop shopping and time‐saving strategies, while specialist food consumers were focused on food shopping and the trading hours of the store. Although similarities in participants' preferences with regard to department and specialist food store were found, different preferences were found regarding the placement of specific items within the store. Participants had similar preferences regarding the product range of a food store. However, department store participants emphasized the provision of convenience food and non‐food items. The findings of this study are valuable in providing department and specialist food store retailers with guideline recommendations regarding store layout and product range in order to effectively respond to the needs and preferences of consumers within an emerging economy.
Consumer morality in times of economic hardship: evidence from the European Social Survey
Authors: Lopes Cláudia Abreu
Published: February 2010

Crimes of everyday life, often referred to as unfair or unethical practices committed in the marketplace by those who see themselves and are seen as respectable citizens, have burgeoned as a result of the transformations in the European economy in the late 20th century, namely the transition to neo‐liberal markets and the emergence of consumer society. A ‘cornucopia of new criminal opportunities’ has given rise to a new range of crimes such as ripping software, making false insurance claims or paying cash on hand to circumvent taxes. These shady behaviours (legal or not) are part of people's experience, albeit they are collectively regarded as morally dubious. Taken collectively, crimes of everyday life are indicators of the moral stage of a particular society and therefore a valuable instrument for social and political analysis. This paper addresses the question of whether and under which conditions feelings of economic hardship trigger crimes of everyday life. A multilevel theoretical and empirical perspective that integrates theories stemming from political science, sociology, and social psychology is adopted. I start by exploring the embeddedness of economic morality in social institutions, followed by an elaboration of the concept of market anomie to account for deviant behaviour in the marketplace, to finally step down to the examination of the correspondence between social attitudes and consumer behaviour, as postulated by the Theory of Planned Behaviour. The empirical study relies on micro data from the European Social Survey (ESS) (Round 2) and attempts to model, for each country, a formative measure of crimes of everyday life based on socio‐demographic variables and the current economic situation, as it is perceived by the individual (taken as a measure of relative deprivation). The resultant country‐specific regression coefficients are mapped onto the broader economic and normative context of 23 European countries. The results reveal that crimes of everyday life are driven by feelings of economic hardship only in countries where normative factors dictate their deviance. In countries where fraudulent behaviour is more generalized, inner motivations to offend play a secondary role as the more privileged consumers are more likely to commit fraud as they interact more often with the market. In turn, normative aspects result from a dynamic interplay of cultural and economic factors. As the economy grows faster, the tendency to offend in the market becomes more visible, but only in countries whose gross domestic product (GDP) stands above the European average. In countries with low GDP, the normative landscape is shaped by cultural factors that seem to obfuscate the power of economic factors favourable to consumer fraud.
Function of dopamine transporter is compromised in DYT1 transgenic animal modelin vivo
Authors: Hewett Jeff , Johansen Peter , Sharma Nutan , Standaert David , Balcioglu Aygul
Published: February 2010

J. Neurochem.(2010) 10.1111/j.1471‐4159.2010.06590.x

Early onset torsion dystonia (DYT1), the most common form of hereditary primary dystonia, is caused by a mutation in the TOR1A gene, which codes for the protein, torsinA. We previously examined the effect of the human mutant torsinA on striatal dopaminergic function in a conventional transgenic mouse model of DYT1 dystonia (hMT1), in which human mutant torsinA is expressed under the cytomegalovirus promotor. Systemic administration of amphetamine did not increase dopamine (DA) release as efficiently in these mice as compared with wild‐type transgenic and non‐transgenic mice. We, now, studied the contribution of the DA transporter (DAT) to amphetamine‐induced DA release in hMT1 transgenic mice usingin vivono‐net flux microdialysis. This method applies different concentrations of DA through the microdialysis probe and measures DA concentration at the output of the probe following an equilibrium period. The slope (extraction fraction) is the measure of the DAT activityin vivo. The slope for hMT1 transgenic mice was 0.58 ± 0.07 and for non‐transgenic animals, 0.87 ± 0.06 (p < 0.05). We further investigated the efficacy of nomifensine (a specific DAT inhibitor) in inhibiting amphetamine‐induced DA release. Local application of nomifensine 80 min before the systemic application of amphetamine inhibited DA release in both transgenic mice and their non‐transgenic littermates. The efficiency of the inhibition appeared to be different, with mean values of 48% for hMT1 transgenic mice versus 84% for non‐transgenic littermates. Moreover, we have evaluated basal and amphetamine‐induced locomotion in hMT1 transgenic mice compared with their non‐transgenic littermates, using an O‐maze behavioral chamber. Basal levels of locomotion in the hMT1 transgenic mice showed that they moved much less than their non‐transgenic littermates (0.9 ± 0.3 m for transgenic mice vs. 2.4 ± 0.7 m for non‐transgenic littermates,p < 0.05). This relative reduction in locomotion was also observed following amphetamine administration (48.5 ± 6.7 m for transgenics vs. 73.7 ± 9.8 m for non‐transgenics,p < 0.05). These results support the finding that there are altered dynamics of DA release and reuptake in hMT1 transgenic micein vivo, with DAT activity is reduced in the presence of mutant torsinA, which is consistent with behavioral consequences such as reduced locomotion and (previously described) abnormal motor phenotypes such as increased hind‐base width and impaired performance on the raised‐beam task. These data implies that altered DAT function may contribute to impaired DA neurotransmission and clinical symptoms in human DYT1 dystonia.
Mutant SOD1 knockdown in all cell types ameliorates disease in G85R SOD1 mice with a limited additional effect over knockdown restricted to motor neurons
Authors: Wang Lijun , Grisotti Gabriella , Roos Raymond P.
Published: February 2010

J. Neurochem. (2010) 10.1111/j.1471‐4159.2010.06594.x

Approximately 10% of patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) have familial ALS (FALS), and 20% of FALS is caused by mutant Cu/Zn superoxide dismutase type 1 (MTSOD1). Previous studies have convincingly demonstrated that MTSOD1 expression in other cell types besides motor neurons (MNs) contributes to disease in MTSOD1 FALS transgenic mice. Using Cre/LoxP methods, we knocked down G85R SOD1 mRNA by 66% in all cell types in 3‐month‐old FALS transgenic mice, delaying disease onset and lengthening disease duration. Surprisingly, the effect on onset and early disease duration was similar to that seen in FALS transgenic mice with ∼25% knockdown prenatally in G85R SOD1 mRNA restricted to MNs and some interneurons. These results demonstrate no clear cumulative effect on disease onset or early disease duration from knocking down G85R SOD1 in other cell types in addition to MNs/interneurons; the findings bring up the possibility that MTSOD1 has a pathogenic effect early in life that our later knockdown did not affect. Despite the more limited amelioration of disease than expected, the effect of the knockdown on disease supports the value of this approach in FALS patients and asymptomatic individuals with SOD1 mutations.