bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Religiosity, Discrimination, and Community Engagement
Authors: Sirin Selcuk R. , Katsiaficas Dalal
Published: December 2010

The attacks on September 11, 2001, changed the lives of all Americans. For many immigrant Muslims in the United States this meant dealing with an elevated amount of discrimination. This study investigated how perceived discrimination influenced levels of community engagement among Muslim American emerging adults and whether it varied by gender. Data were gathered from 134 Muslim American immigrant participants aged 18 to 28. Surprisingly the findings showed no significant gender differences in terms of religiosity, perceived discrimination, and community engagement. Those who wore traditional religious dress, as expected, reported higher degrees of discrimination than those who did not. Further analysis also showed that for young women deep religious commitments led to community involvement when perceiving higher levels of discrimination. On the other hand, for young men, perceived discrimination did not have any effect in mediating the role of religiosity on community engagement. The results showed that gendered pathways of the role perceived discrimination may play in increasing community engagement in young women but not for young men.
Public Organizations and Mission Valence
Authors: Wright Bradley E. , Pandey Sanjay K.
Published: December 2010

Given the service- and community-oriented nature of organizational goals in the public sector, it is not surprising that public management scholars have highlighted the potential of the missions to be an asset of public organizations. To date, however, little empirical research has investigated ways in which these benefits can be cultivated. The present study of mission valence—based on a sample from a single organization—has formative and developmental value. The authors find that organizational goal clarity, public service motivation, and work impact can increase an organization’s mission valence. In addition, the findings validate the importance of mission valence by illustrating its effect on two important human resource outcomes, job satisfaction and absenteeism.
Post-Normal Science in Practice at the Netherlands Environmental Assessment Agency
Authors: Petersen Arthur C. , Cath Albert , Hage Maria , Kunseler Eva , van der Sluijs Jeroen P.
Published: December 2010

About a decade ago, the Netherlands Environmental Assessment Agency (PBL) unwittingly embarked on a transition from a technocratic model of science advising to the paradigm of ‘‘post-normal science’’ (PNS). In response to a scandal around uncertainty management in 1999, a Guidance for ‘‘Uncertainty Assessment and Communication’’ was developed with advice from the initiators of the PNS concept and was introduced in 2003. This was followed in 2007 by a ‘‘Stakeholder Participation’’ Guidance. In this article, the authors provide a combined insider/outsider perspective on the transition process. The authors assess the extent to which the PNS paradigm has delivered new approaches in the agency’s practice and analyze two projects—on long-term options for Dutch sustainable development policy and for urban development policy—the latter in somewhat more detail. The authors identify several paradoxes PBL encounters when putting the PNS concept into practice. It is concluded that an openness to other styles of work than the technocratic model has become visible, but that the introduction of the PNS paradigm is still in its early stage.
Public support for liberal democracy
Authors: Kotzian Peter
Published: December 2010

This article analyzes the importance of system-level features, such as political and economic development, and individual-level factors for the support of liberal democracy. Using multilevel modeling, the study explicitly distinguishes between the role of subjective evaluations at the individual level and objective facts at the system level. The findings obtained using a sample of 36 countries indicate that objective economic performance is the most important system-level factor for system support. Improvements in the degree of democracy do not affect public support. Individual subjective perception is predominant for determining specific support. Contrary to previous studies, there is no evidence that the liberal-democratic society reaches a degree of acceptance that immunizes it from economic developments. Nor is there evidence that citizens of non-democratic regime types will urge for democratic change when the regime performs well in economic terms.
Expression of Cell Adhesion Molecules and Doublecortin in Canine Anaplastic Meningiomas
Authors: Ide T. , Uchida K. , Suzuki K. , Kagawa Y. , Nakayama H.
Published: December 2010

Tumor cell invasion into the surrounding nervous tissue is one of the histologic hallmarks of anaplastic meningiomas. To identify other possible markers for aggression in canine meningiomas, the relationship between histologic features and the expression of molecules involved in cell adhesion, cell proliferation, and invasion was examined. Immunohistochemistry for epithelial cadherin (E-cadherin), neural cadherin (N-cadherin), β-catenin, doublecortin (DCX), and Ki-67 was performed for 55 cases of canine meningioma. DCX was preferentially expressed in tumor cells invading the brain parenchyma (12 of 14 cases), suggesting its involvement in the invasion process. Regardless of the histologic type, E-cadherin and N-cadherin expression was observed in 31 of 55 and 44 of 55 cases, respectively. There was a significant positive correlation between DCX and N-cadherin expression and a significant negative correlation between E-cadherin and N-cadherin expression, suggesting that decreased E-cadherin and increased N-cadherin expression induce DCX expression. Typical membranous β-catenin expression was observed in 10 of 55 cases, whereas nuclear translocation was observed in 33 cases. Nuclear β-catenin expression was frequently found in anaplastic meningiomas (12 of 14 cases). The Ki-67 labeling indices were significantly higher in anaplastic meningiomas than in other types. These findings indicate that the expression of N-cadherin and DCX and the nuclear translocation of β-catenin are closely associated with the presence of invasion and anaplasia in canine meningiomas. Notably, granular cell meningiomas were negative for almost all the molecules examined, suggesting that they have a different tumor biology than other meningiomas.
Recommended Guidelines for Submission, Trimming, Margin Evaluation, and Reporting of Tumor Biopsy Specimens in Veterinary Surgical Pathology
Authors: Kamstock D. A. , Ehrhart E. J. , Getzy D. M. , Bacon N. J. , Rassnick K. M. , Moroff S. D. , Liu S. M. , Straw R. C. , McKnight C. A. , Amorim R. L. , Bienzle D. , Cassali G. D. , Cullen J. M. , Dennis M. M. , Esplin D. G. , Foster R. A. , Goldschmidt M. H. , Gruber A. D. , Hellmén E. , Howerth E. W. , Labelle P. , Lenz S. D. , Lipscomb T. P. , Locke E. , McGill L. D. , Miller M. A. , Mouser P. J. , O’Toole D. , Pool R. R. , Powers B. E. , Ramos-Vara J. A. , Roccabianca P. , Ross A. D. , Sailasuta A. , Sarli G. , Scase T. J. , Schulman F. Y. , Shoieb A. M. , Singh K. , Sledge D. , Smedley R. C. , Smith K. C. , Spangler W. L. , Steficek B. , Stromberg P. C. , Valli V. E. , Yager J. , Kiupel M.
Published: December 2010

Neoplastic diseases are typically diagnosed by biopsy and histopathological evaluation. The pathology report is key in determining prognosis, therapeutic decisions, and overall case management and therefore requires diagnostic accuracy, completeness, and clarity. Successful management relies on collaboration between clinical veterinarians, oncologists, and pathologists. To date there has been no standardized approach or guideline for the submission, trimming, margin evaluation, or reporting of neoplastic biopsy specimens in veterinary medicine. To address this issue, a committee consisting of veterinary pathologists and oncologists was established under the auspices of the American College of Veterinary Pathologists Oncology Committee. These consensus guidelines were subsequently reviewed and endorsed by a large international group of veterinary pathologists. These recommended guidelines are not mandated but rather exist to help clinicians and veterinary pathologists optimally handle neoplastic biopsy samples. Many of these guidelines represent the collective experience of the committee members and consensus group when assessing neoplastic lesions from veterinary patients but have not met the rigors of definitive scientific study and investigation. These questions of technique, analysis, and evaluation should be put through formal scrutiny in rigorous clinical studies in the near future so that more definitive guidelines can be derived.
Immunohistochemical Profiling and Telomerase Activity of a Canine Medulloblastoma
Authors: Mandrioli L. , Biserni R. , Panarese S. , Morini M. , Gandini G. , Bettini G.
Published: December 2010

A well-demarcated mass was found by computed tomography in the left cerebellar hemisphere of a 4-year-old male Boxer with acute onset of progressive central vestibular syndrome. At necropsy, the pink, gelatinous mass was in the flocculonodular lobe. Histologically, neoplastic tissue arose from the granular layer of the cerebellar cortex and consisted of sheets of oval to round hyperchromatic cells, consistent with the diagnosis of medulloblastoma. Synaptophysin and neuron-specific enolase immunoreactivity supported the neuronal origin of the neoplastic cells; furthermore, a weak to moderate c-kit expression was detected, as reported in pediatric medulloblastoma. Telomerase activity of tumor cells was demonstrated by immunohistochemistry and by the telomere repeat amplification protocol, suggesting involvement of this enzymatic pathway.
The Shape of the Davidic Hope across the Book of the Twelve
Authors: Petterson Anthony R.
Published: December 2010

It has recently been argued that the Book of the Twelve reflects a variety of views concerning the restoration of the Davidic monarchy, including optimism in the early Persian period and later criticism. The interpretation of Zechariah 11 and the texts concerning Zerubbabel is critical in this. This article presents an interpretation of these texts which coheres with Zechariah and the Book of the Twelve. The shape of the Davidic hope across the Book of the Twelve is then traced and it is observed that the hope for a future king from the house of David occurs at key points. This suggests that those who collected the Twelve sought to preserve the earlier prophetic hope for a future Davidic king.
Did the Gods Cause Abraham’s Wandering? An Examination of ‭םיהלא‬ ‭יתא‬ ‭ועתה‬ in Genesis 20.13
Authors: Schmutzer Andrew J.
Published: December 2010

In Gen. 20.11-13, ‭םיהלא‬ is ambiguously used with a plural verb in the Masoretic version of Gen. 20.13. ‭םיהלא‭ could refer to the true God or pagan ‘gods’. In this article, this unconventional grammatical feature is explored from multiple angles (e.g. morphology, grammar/syntax, history of interpretation) with sensitivity to the literary-theological movement of the narrative in its final form. Part and parcel of the history of interpretation involves how versions (the Samaritan Pentateuch, Targum Onkelos, and Septuagint Genesis) interpreted Gen. 20.13, shedding light on how this ambiguity may have been navigated by ancient interpreters. It is argued in this article that the Masoretic text’s plural causative ‭ועתה‬ with ‭םיהלא‬ makes ‘the gods’ an exegetically viable translation in this context. Some contemporary translations are evaluated and some recommendations are offered. This grammatical accommodation of Gen. 20.13 gains support from Abraham’s personal and political duress in which a powerful gentile king arraigns the patriarch who, in turn, contextualizes his message to a supposedly godless setting.
Rheological Characterization of Hyaluronic Acid Derivatives as Injectable Materials Toward Nucleus Pulposus Regeneration
Authors: Gloria Antonio , Borzacchiello Assunta , Causa Filippo , Ambrosio Luigi
Published: December 2010

Nucleus pulposus (NP) is the soft center of the intervertebral disc (IVD), able to resist compressive loads, while the annulus fibrosus withstands tension and gives mechanical strength.

NP function may be altered as consequence of several pathologies or injury and when a damaged IVD does not properly play its role. In the past years, a great effort has been devoted to the design of injectable systems as NP substitutes. The different synthetic- and natural hydrogel-based materials proposed, present many drawbacks and, in particular, they do not seem to mimic the required behavior. In the search for natural-based systems a dodecylamide of hyaluronic acid (HA), HYADD3®, has been proved as bioactive and suitable vehicle to carry cells for NP tissue engineering, while a crosslinked HA ester, HYAFF120® showed interesting results if used as injectable acellular material. Even though these derivatives showed appropriate biological behavior up to now, data on mechanical behavior of these derivatives are still missing. In this frame, the aim of this study was to provide a rheological characterization of these HA derivatives to asses their biomechanical compatibility with the NP tissue. To this, the rheological properties of these derivatives were studied through dynamic shear tests before and after injection through needles used in the current surgical procedure. Both HA derivatives showed a ‘gel-like’ rheological behavior similar to the native NP tissue and this behavior was not altered by injection.
Effects of Low Concentration BMP-7 on Human Osteoarthritic Chondrocytes: Comparison of Different Applications
Authors: Gavenis Karsten , Heussen Nicole , Schmidt-Rohlfing Bernhard
Published: December 2010

While BMP-7 (OP-1) is one of the most potent growth factors in cartilage tissue engineering, the effects of exogenous low concentration BMP-7 on osteoarthritic chondrocytes are still unknown. Human osteoarthritic chondrocytes obtained from the femoral condyles of 10 patients were grown either in monolayer or in 3D collagen type-I gel culture in vitro. The growth factor was either given as a single dose of 50 ng/mL, a repeated dose, or continuously released from PGLA microspheres. Matrix formation was monitored by immunohistochemical staining and real-time PCR. In contrast to monolayer culture, the differentiated phenotype was prevailed in 3D culture. Collagen type-II protein production in the 3D group with a continuous BMP-7 release was enhanced in comparison to all other groups. Gene expression of collagen type-II and aggrecan was elevated in all treatment groups, with the highest extent in the BMP-7 microsphere group. In summary, treatment of articular chondrocytes with a low dose of BMP-7 leads to an elevated production of extracellular matrix components. This effect is further increased when BMP-7 is given repeatedly or continuously, which proved to be the most effective form of application.
Functionalized Bridged Silsesquioxane-based Nanostructured Microspheres: Performance as Novel Drug-delivery Devices in Bone Tissue-related Applications
Authors: Romeo Hernán Esteban , Fanovich María Alejandra
Published: December 2010

Two kinds of functionalized nanostructured hybrid microspheres, based on the bridged silsesquioxane family, were synthesized by employing the sol–gel method via self-assembly of two different organic–inorganic bridged monomers. The architecture reached at molecular level allowed the incorporation of acetylsalicylic acid (ASA) as an anti-inflammatory model drug. The ASA-functionalized microspheres were characterized as delivery devices in simulated body fluid (SBF). The release behaviors of the synthesized microspheres (Fickian or anomalous diffusion mechanisms) were shown to be dependent on the chemical nature of the bridged monomers employed to synthesize the hybrid materials. The functionalized microspheres were proposed as delivery systems into calcium phosphate cements (CPCs), in order to slow down the characteristic drug-delivery kinetics of this kind of bone tissue-related materials. The incorporation of the new functionalized microparticles into the CPCs represented a viable methodology to modify the ASA-release kinetics in comparison to a conventional CPC containing the drug dispersed into the solid phase. The ASA-delivery profiles obtained from the microsphere-loaded CPCs showed that 40–60% of drug can be released after 2 weeks of testing in SBF. The inclusion of the microspheres into the CPC matrices allowed modification of the release profiles through a mechanism that involved two stages: (1) the diffusion of the drug through the organic–inorganic matrix of the microspheres (according to a Fickian or anomalous diffusion, depending on the nanostructuring) and (2) the subsequent diffusion of the drug through the ceramic matrix of the hardened cements. The release behavior of the composite cements was shown to be dependent on the nanostructuring of the hybrid microspheres, which can be selectively tailored by choosing the desired chemical structure of the bridged precursors employed in the sol–gel synthesis. The obtained results demonstrated the ability of this new class of functionalized hybrid microdevices as delivery systems into calcium phosphate materials with potential bone tissue-related drug-delivery applications.
Intersectional Dignities: Latino Immigrant Street Vendor Youth in Los Angeles
Authors: Estrada Emir , Hondagneu-Sotelo Pierrette
Published: December 2010

In Los Angeles many Latino immigrants earn income through street vending, as do some of their teenagers and younger children. Members of their community and external authorities view these economic activities as deviant, low status, and illegal, and young people who engage in them are sometimes chased by the police and teased by their peers. Why do they consent to do this work, and how do they respond to the threats and taunts? Based on participant observation and in-depth interviews with street vending children and teens, the authors argue that an intersectionalities perspective can help explain both why the youth engage in this work and how they construct narratives of intersectional dignities to counter experiences of shame, stigma, and humiliation with street vending. Intersectional dignities refers to moral constructions based on inversions of widely held negative stereotypes of racial ethnic minorities, the poor, immigrants, and in this case, children and girls who earn money in the streets. By analyzing how they counter stigma, one learns something about the structure of the broader society and the processes through which disparaged street vendor youth build affirming identities.
Early- and Late-Onset Blindness Both Curb Audiotactile Integration on the Parchment-Skin Illusion
Authors: Champoux François , Collignon Olivier , Bacon Benoit A. , Lepore Franco , Zatorre Robert J. , Théoret Hugo
Published: December 2010

It has been shown that congenital blindness can lead to anomalies in the integration of auditory and tactile information, at least under certain conditions. In the present study, we used the parchment-skin illusion, a robust illustration of sound-biased perception of touch based on changes in frequency, to investigate the specificities of audiotactile interactions in early- and late-onset blind individuals. Blind individuals in both groups did not experience any illusory change in tactile perception when the frequency of the auditory signal was modified, whereas sighted individuals consistently experienced the illusion. This demonstration that blind individuals had reduced susceptibility to an auditory-tactile illusion suggests either that vision is necessary for the establishment of audiotactile interactions or that auditory and tactile information can be processed more independently in blind individuals than in sighted individuals. In addition, the results obtained in late-onset blind participants suggest that visual input may play a role in the maintenance of audiotactile integration.
Taking stock: A meta-analysis of studies on the media’s coverage of science
Authors: Schäfer Mike S.
Published: December 2010

The presentation of science in the mass media is one of the most important questions facing social scientists who analyse science. Accordingly, media coverage of science has been a constant focal point in the respective literature, and a flurry of such publications has appeared in the past few years. Yet the activity and growth of the respective research have not been accompanied by systematic overviews. This article aims to provide such an overview by means of a meta-analysis: it analyses existing studies systematically and provides an empirical overview of the literature. The analysis shows that while the research field grew significantly in the past few years and employs a variety of research strategies and methods, it has been biased in three ways: mainly natural sciences (and namely biosciences and medicine), Western countries, and print media have been analysed.
Seeking science information online: Data mining Google to better understand the roles of the media and the education system
Authors: Segev Elad , Baram-Tsabari Ayelet
Published: December 2010

Which extrinsic cues motivate people to search for science-related information? For many science-related search queries, media attention and time during the academic year are highly correlated with changes in information seeking behavior (expressed by changes in the proportion of Google science-related searches). The data mining analysis presented here shows that changes in the volume of searches for general and well-established science terms are strongly linked to the education system. By contrast, ad-hoc events and current concerns were better aligned with media coverage. The interest and ability to independently seek science knowledge in response to current events or concerns is one of the fundamental goals of the science literacy movement. This method provides a mirror of extrapolated behavior and as such can assist researchers in assessing the role of the media in shaping science interests, and inform the ways in which lifelong interests in science are manifested in real world situations.
Grand Canyon Trekkers
Authors: Hawthorne Alisa , Shaibi Gabriel , Gance-Cleveland Bonnie , McFall Sarah
Published: December 2010

The incidence of childhood overweight is especially troubling among low income Latino youth. Grand Canyon Trekkers (GCT) was implemented as a quasi-experimental study in 10 Title 1 elementary schools with a large Latino population to examine the effects of a 16-week structured walking program on components of health-related physical fitness: Body Mass Index (BMI), waist circumference, and cardio-respiratory. Data on 1,074 research participants revealed no significance changes in BMI or waist circumference (p > .05); however, cardio-respiratory fitness increased by 37.1% over baseline. Cardiovascular fitness is an independent determinant of long-term health; therefore, the GCT program may have significantly improved the future health profile of the participants and decreased their risk of metabolic diseases.
Mexican American Parents’ Perceptions of Childhood Risk Factors for Type 2 Diabetes
Authors: Head Barbara J. , Barr Kathleen L. , Baker Sharon K.
Published: December 2010

A study was conducted to identify the norms, values, and perceptions of urban immigrant Mexican American (MA) parents of school children relative to physical activity, healthy eating, and child risk factors for type 2 diabetes. Investigators facilitated five focus groups in an urban elementary school setting and analyzed data using qualitative analysis techniques. Methods for participant recruitment, conduct of focus groups, and qualitative data analysis are detailed. Results of analysis are presented. The relationship between parent focus group discussion and the conceptual framework guiding the study are depicted. Implications for practice and research are discussed.
Urban Leadership and Community Involvement: Ingredients for Good Governance?
Authors: Haus Michael , Erling Klausen Jan
Published: December 2010

The article asks how political leadership and community involvement together can contribute to legitimate and effective policy making in the context of urban governance. Particularly, the question is discussed if the interplay between both increases capacities for governing localities. Conceptually, this is based on Jessop’s assumption that every mode of coordination is failure prone and that there is a need for enduring “metagovernance.” The concept of metagovernance is then linked with considerations on institutional contexts and a comparison of four case studies, situated in different contexts. Whereas the case studies can show different practices or failures of metagovernance in the interaction between political leaders and involved societal actors, the institutional contexts are shown to more or less facilitate these practices.
Trends in the Suburbanization of Racial/Ethnic Groups in U.S. Metropolitan Areas, 1970 to 2000
Authors: Timberlake Jeffrey M. , Howell Aaron J. , Staight Amanda J.
Published: December 2010

This research examines recent trends in suburbanization for non-Latino Whites, Blacks, and Asians, and Latinos of all races. The authors find some association between group-level acculturation and socioeconomic status and 2000 suburbanization rates; however, these associations are largely attenuated by controls for suburban housing supply and do not explain much of the variation in changes in suburbanization rates from 1970 to 2000. Suburban housing supply is strongly associated with 2000 levels of suburbanization, yet these effects are largely attenuated by controlling for the suburban share of employment and affordable housing. Finally, the authors find large effects of change in suburban housing supply on change in group suburbanization rates; however, these effects are much weaker for Blacks relative to the other groups.
Intrathecal IgM synthesis in pediatric MS is not a negative prognostic marker of disease progression: quantitative versus qualitative IgM analysis
Authors: Stauch C , Reiber H , Rauchenzauner M , Strasak A , Pohl D , Hanefeld F , Gärtner J , Rostásy KM
Published: December 2010

Background: Intrathecal IgM synthesis is reported to be associated with a worse prognosis in adults with multiple sclerosis (MS).

Objective: To study the predictive value of intrathecal IgM synthesis for the clinical course of pediatric MS.

Methods: Seventy children with onset of MS before the age of 16 years and followed for a median period of 10.4 years (range: 0.4–22.8 years) were studied. The two subgroups with ( n = 44) or without ( n = 26) intrathecal IgM synthesis were distinguished by a new, very sensitive, evaluation of quantitative analysis in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF)/serum quotient diagrams (Reibergrams). The clinical course and EDSS (Expanded Disability Status Scale) scores at five and ten years were compared with IgM frequencies between both groups with a new statistics program for CSF data.

Results: The cohort of children without intrathecal IgM production had higher numbers of attacks in the first two years and shorter time intervals between first and second attack, although this was not statistically significant ( p = 0.04, p = 0.15 respectively). In addition there was also a trend for girls without intrathecal IgM synthesis to have a higher EDSS score after 10 years compared with the group with IgM synthesis.

Conclusion: Intrathecal IgM synthesis is not associated with a more rapid progression of disability in pediatric MS. Reevaluation of data from previous reports about the negative predictive value of intrathecal IgM synthesis in adult MS with a CSF statistics tool show that the apparent contradiction is due to a methodological bias in the qualitative detection of ‘oligoclonal’ IgM or linear IgM index.
Bipolar Disorder in Children
Authors: Quattlebaum Patricia D. , Grier Betsy C. , Klubnik Cynthia
Published: December 2010

In the United States, bipolar disorder is an increasingly common diagnosis in children, and these children can present with severe behavior problems and emotionality. Many studies have documented the frequent coexistence of behavior disorders and speech-language disorders. Like other children with behavior disorders, children with bipolar disorder are probably at greater risk for concomitant speech-language difficulties that can further complicate their behavioral presentation. This article reviews the features of the disorder based on current research perspectives as well as the most common coexisting conditions and evidence-based medical and psychological interventions. The goal is to increase awareness of pediatric bipolar disorder as a potential consideration in the behavioral presentation of children who have a coexisting speech-language disorder. Speech-language intervention should be one component of the comprehensive intervention program. A case study highlights the need for collaboration among caregivers and other team members as intervention plans are developed, implemented, and evaluated.
Coverage Bias in Telephone Surveys in Israel
Authors: Gordoni Galit , Oren Anat , Shavit Yossi
Published: December 2010

Potential coverage bias in telephone surveys among the general population in Israel was studied in a random sample of 6,405 adults drawn from the population register. Registered telephone status (landline and mobile, mobile-only, no telephone) of each sampled individual was matched with his or her sociodemographic characteristics obtained from diverse databases. This facilitated estimation of the coverage properties of the landline telephone directory sampling list in Israel and identification of subpopulations potentially undercovered in telephone surveys. Nonveteran immigrants, individuals in the 30—44 age group, and those living in low socioeconomic areas proved systematically underrepresented in a telephone survey based on the landline telephone directory sampling list. Bias due to the exclusion of mobile-only individuals from the sampling list was also tested, and implications for sampling list selection are discussed.
Low-Dye Taping Versus Medial Arch Support in Managing Pain and Pain-Related Disability in Patients With Plantar Fasciitis
Authors: Mohammed Shawki Abd El Salam  , Yehia Nassef Abd ELhafz
Published: December 2010

Plantar fasciitis is thought to develop because of repeated mechanical stresses. This study aimed to compare 2 means of foot arches support—low-Dye tape (LDT) and medial arch support (MAS)—in patients with plantar fasciitis. Thirty patients with unilateral plantar fasciitis (23 men and 7 women) were randomly assigned to the LDT or MAS groups. Both groups were assessed before and after experiment for pain and foot function. Both groups received 9 sessions over 3 weeks consisting of ultrasound and calf muscles stretching. They were instructed to maintain supportive intervention (LDT or MAS) throughout this period. Pre—post comparison showed reduced pain and improved function in both groups. Between-groups analysis showed non-significant difference in pre-VAS and pre-FPDS. Post-VAS and post-FPDS showed significant improvement in patients in MAS group. Results indicate that MAS is more convenient for short-term management of pain and disability in patients with plantar fasciitis than LDT.Level of Evidence: Therapeutic, Level II
Drugs and Appetite
Authors: Gura Kathleen , Ciccone Roselle
Published: December 2010

A poor appetite can negatively impact growth and neurodevelopment. In some cases, it may be necessary to use pharmacologic agents to stimulate the child’s appetite. Unfortunately, experience using these drugs in the pediatric patient is limited at best. Most agents have side effects that limit their usefulness solely as an appetite stimulant. The purpose of this article is to review the current agents used for this indication in adults and consider the advantages and disadvantages of each when used in a pediatric patient. Other factors such as taste perversion secondary to medication use will also be briefly discussed.
Spinal Muscular Atrophy— Summary for Nutritional Care
Authors: DiVito Donna , Konek Susan
Published: December 2010

The Consensus Statement for Standard of Care in Spinal Muscular Atrophy was published in 2007 and provided guidance for interdisciplinary teams charged with the care of patients with spinal muscular atrophy (SMA). This standard was developed by the International Standard of Care Committee for Spinal Muscular Atrophy, which was formed in 2005. It was the goal of this committee to establish practice guidelines for clinical care of patients with SMA. The practice guidelines in this consensus statement were developed based on “well-designed clinical studies,” where available, and the results of a survey of more than 60 SMA experts. This article provides a summary and overview of the gastrointestinal-/nutrition-related standard of care. A case study on nutrition management of a child with SMA type 1 is included as illustration of the standard in practice. Topics in nutrition care in need of further study are identified in the statement article and included in this overview.
Knockdown of Hspa9, a del(5q31.2) gene, results in a decrease in hematopoietic progenitors in mice
Authors: Chen Tim H.-P. , Kambal Amal , Krysiak Kilannin , Walshauser Mark A. , Raju Gagan , Tibbitts Justin F. , Walter Matthew J.
Published: December 2010

Heterozygous deletions spanning chromosome 5q31.2 occur frequently in the myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) and are highly associated with progression to acute myeloid leukemia (AML) when p53 is mutated. Mutagenesis screens in zebrafish and mice identified Hspa9 as a del(5q31.2) candidate gene that may contribute to MDS and AML pathogenesis, respectively. To test whether HSPA9 haploinsufficiency recapitulates the features of ineffective hematopoiesis observed in MDS, we knocked down the expression of HSPA9 in primary human hematopoietic cells and in a murine bone marrow–transplantation model using lentivirally mediated gene silencing. Knockdown of HSPA9 in human cells significantly delayed the maturation of erythroid precursors, but not myeloid or megakaryocytic precursors, and suppressed cell growth by 6-fold secondary to an increase in apoptosis and a decrease in the cycling of cells compared with control cells. Erythroid precursors, B lymphocytes, and the bone marrow progenitors c-kit+/lineage−/Sca-1+ (KLS) and megakaryocyte/erythrocyte progenitor (MEP) were significantly reduced in a murine Hspa9-knockdown model. These abnormalities suggest that cooperating gene mutations are necessary for del(5q31.2) MDS cells to gain clonal dominance in the bone marrow. Our results demonstrate that Hspa9 haploinsufficiency alters the hematopoietic progenitor pool in mice and contributes to abnormal hematopoiesis.
Complement halts angiogenesis gone wild
Authors: Kahr Walter H. A.
Published: December 2010

In this issue of Blood, Langer and colleagues demonstrate the inhibitory role of the complement system during neovascularization, which is mediated by complement-stimulated macrophages in both a mouse model of retinopathy of prematurity and in a Matrigel culture model.1
Dot(1L) on the spot
Authors: Bungert Jörg
Published: December 2010

Hematopoietic cell fate decisions are regulated primarily by transcription factors that activate or repress lineage-specific gene expression programs.1 The transcription factors GATA-1/2 and Pu.1 are critical regulators of erythroid and myeloid cell differentiation. In this issue of Blood, Feng et al demonstrate that the histone methyltransferase disruptor of telomeric silencing (Dot1L), which catalyzes the methylation of histone H3 at lysine residue 79 (H3K79), is required for the proper activation of GATA-2 and for the repression of Pu.1 during erythropoiesis.2 Disruption of Dot1L activity in mice leads to early embryonic lethality in part due to a decrease in the expansion of erythroid progenitor cells and a defect in angiogenesis.
Safe(r) anticoagulation
Authors: Renné Thomas
Published: December 2010

In this issue of Blood, Zhang and colleagues demonstrate that targeting factor XI expression by antisense oligonucleotides prevents arterial and venous thrombosis in treated mice without increasing the risk of bleeding.1
Differential gene expression and clonal selection during cellular transformation induced by adhesion deprivation
Authors: Jinka Rajeswari , Kapoor Renu , Pavuluri Sivapriya , Raj Avinash T , Kumar Mahesh J , Rao Lakshmi , Pande Gopal
Published: December 2010

Background

Anchorage independent growth is an important hallmark of oncogenic transformation. Previous studies have shown that when adhesion dependent fibroblasts were prevented from adhering to a substrate they underwent anoikis. In the present study we have demonstrated how anoikis resistant cells gain the transformation related properties with sequential selection of genes. We have proposed this process as a model system for selection of transformed cells from normal cells.

Results

This report demonstrates that some fibroblasts can survive during late stages of anoikis, at which time they exhibit transformation-associated properties such as in vitro colony formation in soft agar and in vivo subcutaneous tumour formation in nude mice. Cytogenetic characterisation of these cells revealed that they contained a t (2; 2) derivative chromosome and they have a selective survival advantage in non adherent conditions. Gene expression profile indicated that these cells over expressed genes related to hypoxia, glycolysis and tumor suppression/metastasis which could be helpful in their retaining a transformed phenotype.

Conclusion

Our results reveal some new links between anoikis and cell transformation and they provide a reproducible model system which can potentially be useful to study multistage cancer and to identify new targets for drug development.
A novel web-based TinT application and the chronology of the Primate Alu retroposon activity
Authors: Churakov Gennady , Grundmann Norbert , Kuritzin Andrej , Brosius Jürgen , Makałowski Wojciech , Schmitz Jürgen
Published: December 2010

Background

DNA sequences afford access to the evolutionary pathways of life. Particularly mobile elements that constantly co-evolve in genomes encrypt recent and ancient information of their host's history. In mammals there is an extraordinarily abundant activity of mobile elements that occurs in a dynamic succession of active families, subfamilies, types, and subtypes of retroposed elements. The high frequency of retroposons in mammals implies that, by chance, such elements also insert into each other. While inactive elements are no longer able to retropose, active elements retropose by chance into other active and inactive elements. Thousands of such directional, element-in-element insertions are found in present-day genomes. To help analyze these events, we developed a computational algorithm (Transpositions in
Transpositions, or TinT) that examines the different frequencies of nested transpositions and reconstructs the chronological order of retroposon activities.

Results

By examining the different frequencies of such nested transpositions, the TinT application reconstructs the chronological order of retroposon activities. We use such activity patterns as a comparative tool to (1) delineate the historical rise and fall of retroposons and their relations to each other, (2) understand the retroposon-induced complexity of recent genomes, and (3) find selective informative homoplasy-free markers of phylogeny. The efficiency of the new application is demonstrated by applying it to dimeric Alu
Short INterspersed Elements (SINE) to derive a complete chronology of such elements in primates.

Conclusion

The user-friendly, web-based TinT interface presented here affords an easy, automated screening for nested transpositions from genome assemblies or trace data, assembles them in a frequency-matrix, and schematically displays their chronological activity history.
Massive parallel sequencing of mRNA in identification of unannotated salinity stress-inducible transcripts in rice (Oryza sativa L.)
Authors: Mizuno Hiroshi , Kawahara Yoshihiro , Sakai Hiroaki , Kanamori Hiroyuki , Wakimoto Hironobu , Yamagata Harumi , Oono Youko , Wu Jianzhong , Ikawa Hiroshi , Itoh Takeshi , Matsumoto Takashi
Published: December 2010

Background

Microarray technology is limited to monitoring the expression of previously annotated genes that have corresponding probes on the array. Computationally annotated genes have not fully been validated, because ESTs and full-length cDNAs cannot cover entire transcribed regions. Here, mRNA-Seq (an Illumina cDNA sequencing application) was used to monitor whole mRNAs of salinity stress-treated rice tissues.

Results

Thirty-six-base-pair reads from whole mRNAs were mapped to the rice genomic sequence: 72.0% to 75.2% were mapped uniquely to the genome, and 5.0% to 5.7% bridged exons. From the piling up of short reads mapped on the genome, a series of programs (Bowtie, TopHat, and Cufflinks) comprehensively predicted 51,301 (shoot) and 54,491 (root) transcripts, including 2,795 (shoot) and 3,082 (root) currently unannotated in the Rice Annotation Project database. Of these unannotated transcripts, 995 (shoot) and 1,052 (root) had ORFs similar to those encoding the amino acid sequences of functional proteins in a BLASTX search against UniProt and RefSeq databases. Among the unannotated genes, 213 (shoot) and 436 (root) were differentially expressed in response to salinity stress. Sequence-based and array-based measurements of the expression ratios of previously annotated genes were highly correlated.

Conclusion

Unannotated transcripts were identified on the basis of the piling up of mapped reads derived from mRNAs in rice. Some of these unannotated transcripts encoding putative functional proteins were expressed differentially in response to salinity stress.
Perturbation of the yeast N-acetyltransferase NatB induces elevation of protein phosphorylation levels
Authors: Helbig Andreas O , Rosati Sara , Pijnappel Pim WWM , van Breukelen Bas , Timmers Marc HTH , Mohammed Shabaz , Slijper Monique , Heck Albert JR
Published: December 2010

Background

The addition of an acetyl group to protein N-termini is a widespread co-translational modification. NatB is one of the main N-acetyltransferases that targets a subset of proteins possessing an N-terminal methionine, but so far only a handful of substrates have been reported. Using a yeast nat3Δ strain, deficient for the catalytic subunit of NatB, we employed a quantitative proteomics strategy to identify NatB substrates and to characterize downstream effects in nat3Δ.

Results

Comparing by proteomics WT and nat3Δ strains, using metabolic 15N isotope labeling, we confidently identified 59 NatB substrates, out of a total of 756 detected acetylated protein N-termini. We acquired in-depth proteome wide measurements of expression levels of about 2580 proteins. Most remarkably, NatB deletion led to a very significant change in protein phosphorylation.

Conclusions

Protein expression levels change only marginally in between WT and nat3Δ. A comparison of the detected NatB substrates with their orthologous revealed remarkably little conservation throughout the phylogenetic tree. We further present evidence of post-translational N-acetylation on protein variants at non-annotated N-termini. Moreover, analysis of downstream effects in nat3Δ revealed elevated protein phosphorylation levels whereby the kinase Snf1p is likely a key element in this process.
Evaluation of diversity among common beans (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) from two centers of domestication using 'omics' technologies
Authors: Mensack Meghan M , Fitzgerald Vanessa K , Ryan Elizabeth P , Lewis Matthew R , Thompson Henry J , Brick Mark A
Published: December 2010

Background

Genetic diversity among wild accessions and cultivars of common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) has been characterized using plant morphology, seed protein allozymes, random amplified polymorphic DNA, restriction fragment length polymorphisms, DNA sequence analysis, chloroplast DNA, and microsatellite markers. Yet, little is known about whether these traits, which distinguish among genetically distinct types of common bean, can be evaluated using omics technologies.

Results

Three 'omics' approaches: transcriptomics, proteomics, and metabolomics were used to qualitatively evaluate the diversity of common bean from two Centers of Domestication (COD). All three approaches were able to classify common bean according to their COD using unsupervised analyses; these findings are consistent with the hypothesis that differences exist in gene transcription, protein expression, and synthesis and metabolism of small molecules among common bean cultivars representative of different COD. Metabolomic analyses of multiple cultivars within two common bean gene pools revealed cultivar differences in small molecules that were of sufficient magnitude to allow identification of unique cultivar fingerprints.

Conclusions

Given the high-throughput and low cost of each of these 'omics' platforms, significant opportunities exist for their use in the rapid identification of traits of agronomic and nutritional importance as well as to characterize genetic diversity.
Genome-wide binding of the orphan nuclear receptor TR4 suggests its general role in fundamental biological processes
Authors: O'Geen Henriette , Lin Yu-Hsuan , Xu Xiaoqin , Echipare Lorigail , Komashko Vitalina M , He Daniel , Frietze Seth , Tanabe Osamu , Shi Lihong , Sartor Maureen A , Engel James D , Farnham Peggy J
Published: December 2010

Background

The orphan nuclear receptor TR4 (human testicular receptor 4 or NR2C2) plays a pivotal role in a variety of biological and metabolic processes. With no known ligand and few known target genes, the mode of TR4 function was unclear.

Results

We report the first genome-wide identification and characterization of TR4 in vivo binding. Using chromatin immunoprecipitation followed by high throughput sequencing (ChIP-seq), we identified TR4 binding sites in 4 different human cell types and found that the majority of target genes were shared among different cells. TR4 target genes are involved in fundamental biological processes such as RNA metabolism and protein translation. In addition, we found that a subset of TR4 target genes exerts cell-type specific functions. Analysis of the TR4 binding sites revealed that less than 30% of the peaks from any of the cell types contained the DR1 motif previously derived from in vitro studies, suggesting that TR4 may be recruited to the genome via interaction with other proteins. A bioinformatics analysis of the TR4 binding sites predicted a cis regulatory module involving TR4 and ETS transcription factors. To test this prediction, we performed ChIP-seq for the ETS factor ELK4 and found that 30% of TR4 binding sites were also bound by ELK4. Motif analysis of the sites bound by both factors revealed a lack of the DR1 element, suggesting that TR4 binding at a subset of sites is facilitated through the ETS transcription factor ELK4. Further studies will be required to investigate the functional interdependence of these two factors.

Conclusions

Our data suggest that TR4 plays a pivotal role in fundamental biological processes across different cell types. In addition, the identification of cell type specific TR4 binding sites enables future studies of the pathways underlying TR4 action and its possible role in metabolic diseases.