bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
THE RADIOCARBON CHRONOLOGY OF KOPIA, AN EARLY GLASS MANUFACTURING CENTRE IN INDIA
Authors: KANUNGO A. K. , MISRA V. N. , DUTTA K. , RAVI PRASAD G. V. , YADAVA M. G. , HODGINS G. W. L.
Published: November 2009

Right from the time of the Painted Grey Ware (PGW) culture, dating to c. 1200–600 bce, more than 210 archaeological sites in India have provided evidence of glass, but there has been no attempt to date the glass‐yielding layers by radiometric techniques. This has hampered the establishment of a chronology for the beginning and evolution of glass‐making in India. The site of Kopia was excavated by the first author for three seasons from 2004 to 2006 to understand the history, development and technology of glass production in India. The excavation produced evidence of a long period of occupation, covering the Fine Grey Ware (FGW), Northern Black Polished Ware (NBP), Sunga–Kushana and Gupta periods. Twenty accelerator mass spectrometry (AMS) and radiocarbon dates, all derived from charcoal samples and processed independently by three laboratories, are available from the site. The dates range in their calibrated form on average from the ninth to the second century bce in locality I and from the second century bce to the second century ad in locality II.
Tales from the archive: methodological and ethical issues in historical geography research
Authors: Moore Francesca P L
Published: November 2009

This paper is an exploration of methodological and ethical issues in historical geography research. Drawing on the experience of researching the historical geographies of abortion in late nineteenth‐ and early twentieth‐century Lancashire, the paper discusses some of the ethical and methodological questions that historical research on sensitive topics raises. This paper investigates the politics of the archive and the forms of censorship researchers may encounter. It also explores the possibility of a conflict of interest between researcher and participant, including the dilemmas researchers face when research participants are dead, but remain important figures in the community. Moreover, the paper argues that the recent burgeoning interest in family and local history makes questions of method and ethics far more urgent for the geographer. In conclusion, the paper calls for more dialogue within geography about researching sensitive subjects, and also between geography and other disciplines.
Social Changes and Welfare Reform in South Korea: In the Context of the Late‐coming Welfare State
Authors: Kim Sung‐won
Published: November 2009

The Korean welfare state is facing diverse pressures and challenges due to changing economic, social, and demographic circumstances: prevalence of the service economy, labor market flexibility, weakened family function and increase of untraditional families, lowest fertility rate and the most rapid ageing of the population among OECD countries, and so forth. These challenges, which indicate new types of social risks, have been stimulating a series of discussions on welfare reform in Korea. The old social risks such as retirement, ill health, poverty, and unemployment have not disappeared because of insecure or inadequate welfare, and now these risks are even intertwined with the so‐called new social risks. Thereby the Korean welfare state is facing complicated reform tasks. This study attempts to analyze the structure and context of these challenges in Korea, and to explore the various driving forces that have formulated Korean welfare reform in recent decades. Through the above analyses, this study will shed light the characteristics of welfare reform in Korea as a late‐coming welfare state.
International Circumstances as Factors in Building a Welfare State: Welfare Regimes in Europe, Japan and Korea
Authors: Takegawa Shogo
Published: November 2009

The East Asian experiences of welfare‐state building have universal implications for the sociology of the welfare state because they clearly indicate the relevance of international circumstances to welfare‐state building. The convergence theory of the welfare state lays emphasis on the economic development, demographic structure, and age of the social security system. The path dependency theory regards a country's social structure and history as important. However, both these theories clearly state the importance of the domestic factors as well. On the contrary, the East Asian experiences show that the dates of the takeoff of the welfare state and the international context at that time were decisive for the subsequent development of the welfare state. The European welfare states are considered to be a by‐product of “embedded liberalism.” The Japanese welfare state, on the other hand, was established in the context of the worldwide stagflation of the 1970s; therefore, Japan experienced the formation and crisis of the welfare state at the same time and this is what characterized its present welfare system. The Korean welfare state emerged in the age of global capitalism and was consequently shaped by the co‐occurrence of welfare and workfare. Given the above, it can be said that the international circumstances faced by each welfare state characterized the three worlds of welfare capitalism: Europe, Japan, and Korea.
Social Change and Social Policy in China: National Adaptation to Global Challenge
Authors: Xiong Yuegen
Published: November 2009

As a part of designed human intervention against social problems, social policy has to respond and adapt to social changes. In this article, the author aims to discuss social changes that occurred in the past decade in China (including economic, demographic, and cultural changes) and relate them to relevant social policies formulated by the Chinese government to address the concerned social issues. To interpret the roles of the state, nongovernmental organizations (NGOs), and the community in tackling social problems in the changing context of the market economy and globalization, the author attempts to provide a theoretical explanation on the emergence of social policy in China in a new era and to further re‐assess the concept of the welfare regime in East Asian countries.
A Contemporary Assessment of Change in Humid Tropical Forests
Authors: ASNER GREGORY P. , RUDEL THOMAS K. , AIDE T. MITCHELL , DEFRIES RUTH , EMERSON RUTH
Published: November 2009

Abstract:  In recent decades the rate and geographic extent of land‐use and land‐cover change has increased throughout the world's humid tropical forests. The pan‐tropical geography of forest change is a challenge to assess, and improved estimates of the human footprint in the tropics are critical to understanding potential changes in biodiversity. We combined recently published and new satellite observations, along with images from Google Earth and a literature review, to estimate the contemporary global extent of deforestation, selective logging, and secondary regrowth in humid tropical forests. Roughly 1.4% of the biome was deforested between 2000 and 2005. As of 2005, about half of the humid tropical forest biome contained 50% or less tree cover. Although not directly comparable to deforestation, geographic estimates of selective logging indicate that at least 20% of the humid tropical forest biome was undergoing some level of timber harvesting between 2000 and 2005. Forest recovery estimates are even less certain, but a compilation of available reports suggests that at least 1.2% of the humid tropical forest biome was in some stage of long‐term secondary regrowth in 2000. Nearly 70% of the regrowth reports indicate forest regeneration in hilly, upland, and mountainous environments considered marginal for large‐scale agriculture and ranching. Our estimates of the human footprint are conservative because they do not resolve very small‐scale deforestation, low‐intensity logging, and unreported secondary regrowth, nor do they incorporate other impacts on tropical forest ecosystems, such as fire and hunting. Our results highlight the enormous geographic extent of forest change throughout the humid tropics and the considerable limitations of the science and technology available for such a synthesis.
Evaluating the Success of Conservation Actions in Safeguarding Tropical Forest Biodiversity
Authors: BROOKS THOMAS M. , WRIGHT S. JOSEPH , SHEIL DOUGLAS
Published: November 2009

Abstract:  We reviewed the evidence on the extent and efficacy of conservation of tropical forest biodiversity for each of the classes of conservation action defined by the new International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) classification. Protected areas are the most tested conservation approach, and a number of studies show they are generally effective in slowing deforestation. There is some documentation of the extent of sustainable timber management in tropical forest, but little information on other landscape‐conservation tactics. The extent and effectiveness of ex situ species conservation is quite well known. Forty‐one tropical‐forest species now survive only in captivity. Other single‐species conservation actions are not as well documented. The potential of policy mechanisms, such as international conventions and provision of funds, to slow extinctions in tropical forests is considerable, but the effects of policy are difficult to measure. Finally, interventions to promote tropical conservation by supporting education and livelihoods, providing incentives, and furthering capacity building are all thought to be important, but their extent and effectiveness remain poorly known. For birds, the best studied taxon, the sum of such conservation actions has averted one‐fifth of the extinctions that would otherwise have occurred over the last century. Clearly, tropical forest conservation works, but more is needed, as is critical assessment of what works in what circumstances, if mass extinction is to be averted.
The Potential for Species Conservation in Tropical Secondary Forests
Authors: CHAZDON ROBIN L. , PERES CARLOS A. , DENT DAISY , SHEIL DOUGLAS , LUGO ARIEL E. , LAMB DAVID , STORK NIGEL E. , MILLER SCOTT E.
Published: November 2009

Abstract:  In the wake of widespread loss of old‐growth forests throughout the tropics, secondary forests will likely play a growing role in the conservation of forest biodiversity. We considered a complex hierarchy of factors that interact in space and time to determine the conservation potential of tropical secondary forests. Beyond the characteristics of local forest patches, spatial and temporal landscape dynamics influence the establishment, species composition, and persistence of secondary forests. Prospects for conservation of old‐growth species in secondary forests are maximized in regions where the ratio of secondary to old‐growth forest area is relatively low, older secondary forests have persisted, anthropogenic disturbance after abandonment is relatively low, seed‐dispersing fauna are present, and old‐growth forests are close to abandoned sites. The conservation value of a secondary forest is expected to increase over time, as species arriving from remaining old‐growth forest patches accumulate. Many studies are poorly replicated, which limits robust assessments of the number and abundance of old‐growth species present in secondary forests. Older secondary forests are not often studied and few long‐term studies are conducted in secondary forests. Available data indicate that both old‐growth and second‐growth forests are important to the persistence of forest species in tropical, human‐modified landscapes.
Ontogeny of the Enhanced Fetal‐Ethanol‐Induced Behavioral and Neurophysiologic Olfactory Response to Ethanol Odor
Authors: Eade Amber M. , Sheehe Paul R. , Youngentob Steven L.
Published: November 2009

Background:  Studies report a fundamental relationship between chemosensory function and the responsiveness to ethanol, its component orosensory qualities, and its odor as a consequence of fetal ethanol exposure. Regarding odor, fetal exposed rats display enhanced olfactory neural and behavioral responses to ethanol odor at postnatal (P) day 15. Although these consequences are absent in adults (P90), the behavioral effect has been shown to persist into adolescence (P37). Given the developmental timing of these observations, we explored the decay in the response to ethanol odor by examining ages between P37 and young adulthood. Moreover, we sought to determine whether the P15 neurophysiologic effect persists, at least, to P40.

Methods:  Behavioral and olfactory epithelial (OE) responses of fetal ethanol exposed and control rats were tested at P40, P50, P60, or P70. Whole‐body plethysmography was used to quantify each animal’s innate behavioral response to ethanol odor. We then mapped the odorant‐induced activity across the OE in response to different odorants, including ethanol, using optical recording methods.

Results:  Relative to controls, ethanol exposed animals showed an enhanced behavioral response to ethanol odor that, while significant at each age, decreased in magnitude. These results, in conjunction with previous findings, permitted the development of an ontologic odor response model of fetal exposure. The fitted model exemplifies that odor‐mediated effects exist at birth, peak in adolescence and then decline, becoming absent by P90. There was no evidence of an effect on the odor response of the OE at any age tested.

Conclusions:  Fetal exposure yields an enhanced behavioral response to ethanol odor that peaks in adolescence and wanes through young adulthood. This occurs absent an enhanced response of the OE. This latter finding suggests that by P40 the OE returns to an ethanol “neutral” status and that central mechanisms, such as ethanol‐induced alterations in olfactory bulb circuitry, underlie the enhanced behavioral response. Our study provides a more comprehensive understanding of the ontogeny of fetal‐ethanol‐induced olfactory functional plasticity and the behavioral response to ethanol odor.
Opioids in the Hypothalamic Paraventricular Nucleus Stimulate Ethanol Intake
Authors: Barson Jessica R. , Carr Ambrose J. , Soun Jennifer E. , Sobhani Nasim C. , Rada Pedro , Leibowitz Sarah F. , Hoebel Bartley G.
Published: November 2009

Background: Specialized hypothalamic systems that increase food intake might also increase ethanol intake. To test this possibility, morphine and receptor‐specific opioid agonists were microinjected in the paraventricular nucleus (PVN) of rats that had learned to drink ethanol. To cross‐validate the results, naloxone methiodide (m‐naloxone), an opioid antagonist, was microinjected with the expectation that it would have the opposite effect of morphine and the specific opioid agonists.

Methods: Sprague–Dawley rats were trained, without sugar, to drink 4 or 7% ethanol and were then implanted with chronic brain cannulas aimed at the PVN. After recovery, those drinking 7% ethanol, with food and water available, were injected with 2 doses each of morphine or m‐naloxone. To test for receptor specificity, 2 doses each of the μ‐receptor agonist [d‐Ala2,N‐Me‐Phe4,Gly5‐ol]‐Enkephalin (DAMGO), δ‐receptor agonistd‐Ala‐Gly‐Phe‐Met‐NH2 (DALA), or κ‐receptor agonist U‐50,488H were injected. DAMGO was also tested in rats drinking 4% ethanol without food or water available. As an anatomical control for drug reflux, injections were made 2 mm dorsal to the PVN.

Results: A main result was a significant increase in ethanol intake induced by PVN injection of morphine. The opposite effect was produced by m‐naloxone. The effects of morphine and m‐naloxone were exclusively on intake of ethanol, even though food and water were freely available. In the analysis with specific receptor agonists, PVN injection of the δ‐agonist DALA significantly increased 7% ethanol intake without affecting food or water intake. This is in contrast to the κ‐agonist U‐50,488H, which decreased ethanol intake, and the μ‐agonist DAMGO, which had no effect on ethanol intake in the presence or absence of food and water. In the anatomical control location 2 mm dorsal to the PVN, no drug caused any significant changes in ethanol, food, or water intake, providing evidence that the active site was close to the cannula tip.

Conclusions: The δ‐opioid receptor agonist in the PVN increased ethanol intake in strong preference over food and water, while the κ‐opioid agonist suppressed ethanol intake. Prior studies show that learning to drink ethanol stimulates PVN expression and production of the peptides enkephalin and dynorphin, which are endogenous agonists for the δ‐ and κ‐receptors, respectively. These results suggest that enkephalin via the δ‐opioid system can function locally within a positive feedback circuit to cause ethanol intake to escalate and ultimately contribute to the abuse of ethanol. This is in contrast to dynorphin via the κ‐opioid system, which may act to counter this escalation. Naltrexone therapy for alcoholism may act, in part, by blocking the enkephalin‐triggered positive feedback cycle.
QT Interval Dispersion and Cardiac Sympathovagal Balance Shift in Rats With Acute Ethanol Withdrawal
Authors: Shirafuji Seiko , Liu Jinyao , Okamura Nanako , Hamada Kazuyuki , Fujimiya Tatsuya
Published: November 2009

Background:  Dysregulation of autonomic nervous system function and impaired homogeneity of myocardial repolarization are 2 important mechanisms for the genesis of ventricular arrhythmias in nonalcoholic subjects. Our previous study suggested that acute ethanol withdrawal promoted the shift of cardiac sympathovagal balance toward sympathetic predominance and reduced the vagal tone, which were related to a higher incidence of ventricular arrhythmia and related death. However, the homogeneity of myocardial repolarization and its relation with the cardiac sympathovagal balance are unknown, especially in alcoholic subjects. The aim of the present study was to clarify these points.

Methods:  Male Wistar rats were treated with a continuous ethanol liquid diet for 49 days, and then subjected to 1‐day withdrawal and 1‐day withdrawal with 7‐day carvedilol (can block the sympathetic nervous system completely via β1, β2, and α adrenergic receptors) pretreatment. The cardiac sympathovagal balance and homogeneity of myocardial repolarization were evaluated based on the heart rate variability (HRV) and QT interval dispersion (QTd: dynamic changes in QT interval duration).

Results:  The increase in QTd was observed only in rats at 1‐day withdrawal, but not in nonalcoholic, continuous ethanol intake, and 1‐day withdrawal with 7‐day carvedilol pretreatment rats. At 1‐day withdrawal, the low‐frequency power/high‐frequency power (LF/HF) ratio in HRV was elevated and correlated with the QTd. The increased QTd and elevated LF/HF ratio were normalized by the 7‐day carvedilol pretreatment in rats at 1‐day ethanol withdrawal.

Conclusions:  In rats with an abrupt termination of the chronic continuous ethanol intake, the homogeneity of myocardial repolarization impaired and correlated with the cardiac sympathovagal balance. Carvedilol pretreatment is associated with a reduction in both the QTd and LF/HF ratio, raising the possibility that the cardiac sympathovagal balance shift may be responsible for the impaired homogeneity of myocardial repolarization, and that β‐blocker pretreatment may decrease the mortality risk during alcoholic withdrawal.
A Critical Evaluation of Influence of Ethanol and Diet on Salsolinol Enantiomers in Humans and Rats
Authors: Lee Jeongrim , Ramchandani Vijay A. , Hamazaki Kei , Engleman Eric A. , McBride William J. , Li Ting‐Kai , Kim Hee‐Yong
Published: November 2009

Background: (R/S)‐Salsolinol (SAL), a condensation product of dopamine (DA) with acetaldehyde, has been speculated to have a role in the etiology of alcoholism. Earlier studies have shown the presence of SAL in biological fluids and postmortem brains from both alcoholics and nonalcoholics. However, the involvement of SAL in alcoholism has been controversial over several decades, since the reported SAL levels and their changes after ethanol exposure were not consistent, possibly due to inadequate analytical procedures and confounding factors such as diet and genetic predisposition. Using a newly developed mass spectrometric method to analyze SAL stereoisomers, we evaluated the contribution of ethanol, diet, and genetic background to SAL levels as well as its enantiomeric distribution.

Methods: Simultaneous measurement of SAL enantiomers and DA were achieved by high performance liquid chromatography‐tandem mass spectrometry (HPLC/MS/MS). Plasma samples were collected from human subjects before and after banana (a food rich in SAL) intake, and during ethanol infusion. Rat plasma and brain samples were collected at various time points after the administration of SAL or banana by gavage. The brain parts including nucleus accumbens (NAC) and striatum (STR) were obtained from alcohol‐non‐preferring (NP) or alcohol‐preferring (P) rats as well as P‐rats which had a free access to ethanol (P‐EtOH).

Results: Plasma SAL levels were increased significantly after banana intake in humans. Consistently, administration of banana to rats also resulted in a drastic increase of plasma SAL levels, whereas brain SAL levels remained unaltered. Acute ethanol infusion did not change SAL levels or R/S ratio in plasma from healthy humans. The levels of both SAL isomers and DA were significantly lower in the NAC of P rats in comparison to NP rats. The SAL levels in NAC of P rats remained unchanged after chronic free‐choice ethanol drinking. There were decreasing trends of SAL in STR and DA in both brain regions. No changes in enantiomeric ratio were observed after acute or chronic ethanol exposure.

Conclusions: SAL from dietary sources is the major contributor to plasma SAL levels. No significant changes of SAL plasma levels or enantiomeric distribution after acute or chronic ethanol exposure suggest that SAL may not be a biomarker for ethanol drinking. Significantly lower SAL and DA levels observed in NAC of P rats may be associated with innate alcohol preference.
Efficacy and Estrangement: Effects of Voting
Authors: Hackett Justin D. , Omoto Allen M.
Published: November 2009

This study examined changes in political efficacy and feelings of estrangement as a function of voting behavior in the 2008 presidential election in the U.S. Participants (n = 224), recruited from an online marketing company's representative panel of U.S. adults, completed a survey 4‐6 weeks before the election and again 2‐4 weeks after the election. Changes in internal and external political efficacy and feelings of estrangement were examined for three groups of voters (McCain voters, Obama voters, and non‐voters) as well as by party affiliation. Internal political efficacy was and remained relatively high among Obama and McCain voters pre‐election to post‐election, but decreased for non‐voters. Among Democrats, there was a significant increase in internal political efficacy, among Republicans, there was no change, and among those with no or a different party affiliation, there was a significant decrease. External political efficacy significantly increased pre‐election to post‐election among Obama voters and non‐voters, but decreased for McCain voters. Additionally, post‐election cultural estrangement was significantly higher among non‐voters than voters. The results are discussed in terms of theoretical implications for understanding the potential impact of different forms of political participation. Several of the specific and distinctive aspects of the 2008 election and President Obama's campaign are also highlighted as they relate to voting behavior and potential changes in the American electorate.
Taking a “Hands On” Approach to Diversity in Higher Education: A Critical‐Dialogic Model for Effective Intergroup Interaction
Authors: Sorensen Nicholas , Nagda Biren (Ratnesh) A. , Gurin Patricia , Maxwell Kelly E.
Published: November 2009

This article reviews divergent empirical evidence on interracial contact. While research on diversity in higher education provides ample evidence for the educational benefits of engaging with diversity in informal interactions or courses, experimental and naturalistic studies in social psychology on interracial interactions reveal a complicated picture, showing what appear to be both positive and negative effects. Rather than addressing the question of whether or not to promote interracial interactions on campus, we present a critical‐dialogic model of intergroup dialogue that centers on communication processes as an avenue toward intergroup relationships, understanding, and collaboration. Prior research and preliminary results from a nine‐university research collaboration provide strong empirical support for the proposed model. We conclude with program and policy considerations for higher education institutions interested in promoting meaningful intergroup interaction.
Implicit Race Attitudes Predicted Vote in the 2008 U.S. Presidential Election
Authors: Greenwald Anthony G. , Smith Colin Tucker , Sriram N. , Bar‐Anan Yoav , Nosek Brian A.
Published: November 2009

In the week before the 2008 United States presidential election, 1,057 registered voters reported their choice between the principal contenders (John McCain and Barack Obama) and completed several measures that might predict their candidate preference, including two implicit and two self‐report measures of racial preference for European Americans (Whites) relative to African Americans (Blacks) and measures of symbolic racism and political conservatism. Greater White preference on each of the four race attitude measures predicted intention to vote for McCain, the White candidate. The implicit race attitude measures (Implicit Association Test and Affect Misattribution Procedure) predicted vote choice independently of the self‐report race attitude measures, and also independently of political conservatism and symbolic racism. These findings support construct validity of the implicit measures.
Taking the Long View: Environmental Sustainability and Delay of Gratification
Authors: Arbuthnott Katherine D.
Published: November 2009

Changing human behavior to support environmental sustainability will often require delaying gratification of consumptive goals. This article reviews findings from the delay of gratification and temporal discounting literatures, examining the implications of these results for environmental behavior‐change goals and programs. Evidence indicates that the ability to delay gratification is strongly influenced by the salience and difficulty of immediate versus delayed goals, so context management is vital to facilitate long‐term environmental goals. The influence of belief on long‐term goal attainment and goal framing also suggests a role for targeting individual beliefs and skills in education programs.
The Gift of Health
Authors: Andaya Elise
Published: November 2009

Drawing on ethnographic data collected over 13 months of fieldwork in family doctor clinics in Havana from 2004 to 2005, I examine the shifting moral and material economies of Cuban socialist medical practice. In both official ideology and in daily practice, the moral economy of ideal socialist medicine is based on an ethos of reciprocal social exchange—that is, the gift—that informs not only doctors’ relationships with the Cuban state and with individual patients but also the state's policies of international medical service to developing nations. The social and economic upheavals after the fall of t Soviet Union, however, have compelled both the state and individual doctors to operate in a new local and global economy. The gift remains the central metaphor of Cuban medical practice. Nonetheless, as ideologies and practices of gifting and reciprocity encounter an emerging market economy, gifts—whether on the level of the state policies of international humanism or in patient–doctor relations—are open to new significations that highlight the shifting material and moral economies of post‐Soviet Cuba.
The “Social Case”
Authors: Friedman Jack R.
Published: November 2009

In this article, I examine the use of an ad hoc medical category—the “social case”—by psychiatrists in contemporary Romania. “Social cases” receive intensive psychiatric care, usually through long institutional stays, remaining hospitalized because psychiatrists perceive them as too poor and, thus, “unfit” to survive without the welfare assistance provided by institutionalization. The “social case” label emerges at the intersection of (1) plans by the state to deinstitutionalize public mental health care, (2) the rise of a new class of downwardly mobile and increasingly poor formerly working‐class people, and (3) the desire of psychiatrists to protect their patients in the face of neoliberal assaults on Romanian welfare state support for publicly funded mental health care. Disability status, illness categories, and everyday medical practices have become battlegrounds for struggles over medical understandings of the psychological distress and illnesses that grip what I call the “New Poor” in postsocialist Romania.
Psychiatry and Politics in Pelotas, Brazil:
Authors: Béhague Dominique P.
Published: November 2009

The world‐wide emergence of categories for diagnosing mental health problems in children and youth such as conduct disorder is often attributed to the globalization of a highly biomedical form of psychiatry. In Brazil, a small group of therapists are resisting biomedicalization by keeping psychodynamic traditions alive and aiming to transform psychotherapy into a resource for politicized youth empowerment. Nevertheless, clinical practices demonstrate an increased use of biomedical diagnoses and therapeutic routines. On the basis of fieldwork with therapists and teachers, and a nine‐year‐long ethnography of young people, this article explores the localized effects of these potentially contradictory developments. Results show that the growth of biomedical practices alongside politicized therapeutic approaches is not indicative of underlying ambiguities but has, rather, emerged from the purposefully equivocal nature of Brazilian social, medical, and professional life. The article uses this Brazilian case study to critically debate theories of medicalization in the anthropology of psychiatry.
Immunoglobulin A deficiency and oral health status: a case–control study
Authors: Jorgensen Gudmundur H. , Arnlaugsson Sigurjon , Theodors Asgeir , Ludviksson Bjorn R.
Published: November 2009

Introduction: Immunoglobulin A (IgA) is important for mucosal health. Selective IgA deficiency (IgAD) is the most common primary immunodeficiency but its effect on oral health is unclear. The aim of this study was to investigate dental, periodontal and oral mucosal health in IgAD individuals.

Material and methods: In total, 32 adult IgAD subjects were compared with 63 randomly selected individuals. Participants answered questionnaires regarding general and oral health and underwent oral examination, including examination using the periodontal screening and recording (PSR) system and dental examination using the DMF system.

Results: The IgAD individuals had significantly more often undergone tonsillectomy (44%versus 24%, p=0.046) and adenoidectomy (31%versus 8%, p=0.003) compared with the controls. Furthermore, the IgAD subjects reported having pharyngitis, stomatitis and herpes labialis significantly more often. There was no significant difference in periodontal health (mean PSR index; 1.87 versus 1.77) or dental health (mean DMFS; 51.3 versus 53.7) between the two cohorts. A positive correlation between Helicobacter pylori infection and severity of periodontitis was found (p=0.036).

Conclusion: IgAD predisposes to oral mucosal infections but does not influence periodontal or dental health. This is the first controlled study to include detailed clinical history and investigations, together with full oral and dental examination, in adults with IgAD.
Phosphorylation of inositol 1,4,5‐triphosphate receptor 1 during in vitro maturation of porcine oocytes
Authors: ITO Junya , YOSHIDA Tomoko , KASAI Yasushi , WAKAI Takuya , PARYS Jan B. , FISSORE Rafael A. , KASHIWAZAKI Naomi
Published: November 2009

During fertilization in mammalian species, a sperm‐induced intracellular Ca2+ signal ([Ca2+]i) mediates both exit of meiosis and oocyte activation. Recently, we demonstrated in mouse oocytes that the phosphorylation levels of inositol 1,4,5 trisphosphate receptor type1 (IP3R1), the channel responsible for Ca2+ release and oscillations during fertilization, changed during maturation and fertilization. Therefore, we examined the expression and phosphorylation of IP3R1 during in vitro maturation of pig oocytes. Here, our present study shows that expression of IP3R1 protein did not change during maturation, although the phosphorylation status of the receptor, specifically at an MPM‐2 epitope, did. We found that while at the beginning of maturation IP3R1 lacked MPM‐2 immunoreactivity, it became MPM‐2 reactive by 24 h and reached maximal reactivity by 36 h. Interestingly, the acquisition of MPM‐2 reactivity coincided with the activation of p34cdc2 kinase and mitogen‐activated protein kinase (MAPK), which are involved in meiotic progression. Following completion of maturation, inactivation of MAPK by U0126 did not affect IP3R1 phosphorylation, although inactivation of p34cdc2 kinase by roscovitine dramatically reduced IP3R1 phosphorylation. Neither inhibitor affected total expression of IP3R1. Altogether, our results show that IP3R1 undergoes dynamic phosphorylation during maturation and this might underlie the generation of oscillations at fertilization.
Understanding how advance care planning is approached in the residential aged care setting: A continuum model of practice as an explanatory device
Authors: Shanley Christopher , Whitmore Elizabeth , Khoo Angela , Cartwright Colleen , Walker Amanda , Cumming Robert G
Published: November 2009

Objective:  To gain an understanding of how advance care planning (ACP) is understood and approached by managers of residential aged care facilities.

Methods:  Qualitative interviews with managers from 41 residential aged care facilities from South Western Sydney, Australia. Content and thematic analysis of interview transcripts.

Results:  The majority of facilities do not have a systematic approach to ACP, but tend to initiate discussions about end‐of‐life treatments late in a resident's illness. There are varying degrees to which these discussions are used in ongoing care planning or made explicit if the resident is transferred to hospital. A number of factors are identified that support the implementation of ACP.

Conclusion:  A continuum model of practice is proposed that describes four broad approaches to practice under the domains of initiation, scope, follow‐up and documentation of ACP as well as the organisational leadership adopted around ACP.
Do physical activity levels influence the cardiovascular‐related physiological characteristics of postmenopausal women?
Authors: Barnett Fiona
Published: November 2009

Aim:  This study aimed to determine whether cardiovascular‐related physiological differences existed among postmenopausal women in relation to their physical activity levels.

Methods:  Participants were postmenopausal women (n= 101) resident in North Queensland. A self‐report questionnaire determined recent exercise history. Anthropometric and physiological measures were obtained. Participants also performed a six‐minute graded exercise test to determine cardiorespiratory fitness.

Results:  Compared with the women who exercised, those women who did not exercise had a lower level of cardiorespiratory fitness (P= 0.00) and higher resting diastolic blood pressure (P= 0.01), BMI (P= 0.00) and WHR (P= 0.02). Discriminant function analysis found that a combination of BMI and cardiorespiratory fitness discriminated between the two groups.

Conclusions:  Postmenopausal women who performed moderate‐intensity physical activity had more favourable cardiovascular‐related physiological characteristics. Health professionals should encourage more postmenopausal women to participate in moderate‐intensity activity to reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease.
Proteolytic activation and function of the cytokine Spätzle in the innate immune response of a lepidopteran insect, Manduca sexta
Authors: An Chunju , Jiang Haobo , Kanost Michael R.
Published: November 2009

The innate immune response of insects includes induced expression of genes encoding a variety of antimicrobial peptides. The signaling pathways that stimulate this gene expression have been well characterized by genetic analysis in Drosophila melanogaster, but are not well understood in most other insect species. One such pathway involves proteolytic activation of a cytokine called Spätzle, which functions in dorsal–ventral patterning in early embryonic development and in the antimicrobial immune response in larvae and adults. We have investigated the function of Spätzle in a lepidopteran insect, Manduca sexta, in which hemolymph proteinases activated during immune responses have been characterized biochemically. Two cDNA isoforms for M. sexta Spätzle‐1 differ because of alternative splicing, resulting in a 10 amino acid residue insertion in the pro‐region of proSpätzle‐1B that is not present in proSpätzle‐1A. The proSpätzle‐1A cDNA encodes a 32.7 kDa polypeptide that is 23% and 44% identical to D. melanogaster and Bombyx mori Spätzle‐1, respectively. Recombinant proSpätzle‐1A was a disulfide‐linked homodimer. M. sexta hemolymph proteinase 8 cleaved proSpätzle‐1A to release Spätzle‐C108, a dimer of the C‐terminal 108 residue cystine‐knot domain. Injection of Spätzle‐C108, but not proSpätzle‐1A, into larvae stimulated expression of several antimicrobial peptides and proteins, including attacin‐1, cecropin‐6, moricin, lysozyme, and the immunoglobulin domain protein hemolin, but did not significantly affect the expression of two bacteria‐inducible pattern recognition proteins, immulectin‐2 and β‐1,3‐glucan recognition protein‐2. The results of this and other recent studies support a model for a pathway in which the clip‐domain proteinase pro‐hemolymph proteinase 6 becomes activated in plasma upon exposure to Gram‐negative or Gram‐positive bacteria or to β‐1,3‐glucan. Hemolymph proteinase 6 then activates pro‐hemolymph proteinase 8, which in turn activates Spätzle‐1. The resulting Spätzle‐C108 dimer is likely to function as a ligand to activate a Toll pathway in M. sexta as a response to a wide variety of microbial challenges, stimulating a broad response to infection.

Structured digital abstract

MINT‐7295125: Spätzle 1A (uniprotkb:C8BMD1) and Spätzle 1A (uniprotkb:C8BMD1) bind (MI:0407) by comigration in gel electrophoresis (MI:0807)
Debriefing critical incidents in the paediatric emergency department: Current practice and perceived needs in Australia and New Zealand
Authors: Theophilos Theane , Magyar Joanne , Babl Franz E ,   Paediatric Research in Emergency Departments International Collaborative (PREDICT)
Published: November 2009

Anecdotally critical incident debriefing (CID) is an important topic for staff in paediatric ED. The present study aimed to determine current baseline CID practices and perceived needs of ED staff. A questionnaire regarding CID practice was circulated to all 13 Paediatric Research in Emergency Departments International Collaborative (PREDICT) sites in Australia and New Zealand (including all tertiary paediatric ED), and completed by 1 senior doctor and 1 senior nurse. All PREDICT sites participated (13 nurses, 13 doctors). Seventy per cent did not currently have a hospital protocol on debriefing and 90% did not have ED‐specific guidelines. The most commonly debriefed topics were death of a patient, multi‐trauma and sudden infant death syndrome, also ranked highest in importance for debriefing. The median reported debriefs per department were 4 per year (range 0–12), all conducted within a week of the CI with half within 24 h. ED workers most likely to be invited to the CID session were doctors, nurses and social workers (96%). Debriefing was mostly conducted internally (62%) and most likely facilitated by a doctor (81%) or nurse (54%). Debriefing addressed both clinical and emotional issues (89%) within the same session (69%). Debriefing was rated as very important, median of 8/10 by doctors and 10/10 by nurses. Almost 90% of those surveyed indicated that they would like a CID programme and guidelines for their department. Debriefing is perceived as important by senior ED clinicians, yet few ED have formalized guidelines or programmes. Best‐practice guidelines should be developed.
Clinical challenges and serious vascular complications in neurofibromatosis
Authors: Faruque M Omar , Davidson Fergus
Published: November 2009

Although generally regarded as a benign and chronic condition, neurofibromatosis can be associated with acute vascular and neurological complications. We report the case of a patient with neurofibromatosis who developed massive haemothorax as a result of spontaneous rupture of the left vertebral artery and left subclavian artery. The case was a diagnostic and management challenge.
Level of Bother and Treatment-Seeking Predictors Among Male and Female in-Patients with Sexual Problems: A Hospital-Based Study
Authors: Evangelia Nakopoulou , Kirana Paraskevi-Sofia , Chiu Gretchen , Link Carol , Rosen Ray , Hatzichristou Dimitrios
Published: November 2009

Introduction

Despite its importance for epidemiological and clinical reasons, relatively few studies investigated determinants of bother or distress associated with sexual problems.

Aim

To assess perception of bother from sexual concerns and examine its role in predicting treatment-seeking.

Main Outcome Measures

The Brief Sexual Symptom Checklist and two single-item questions were used to assess type of sexual problems, level of bother, and treatment-seeking behavior.

Methods

Participants were recruited by selecting all sequentially eligible patients in each of the hospital’s clinics. The scales used were drawn from the Hospitalized and Outpatients’ Profile and Expectations Study survey instrument. Data were analyzed using chi-square, Fisher’s exact tests, and multivariate logistic regression models.

Results

In total 415 inpatients (48% men and 52% women) participated in the study. A high prevalence of male and female sexual problems was obtained (more than 50%) with a high degree of overlap among the various sexual problems. Common profiles included lack of desire and arousal or orgasmic problems in the women (8–9%); erectile dysfunction (ED) and low desire in the men (21.7%). Forty-five percent and 34% of our male and female participants, respectively, reported moderate or severe bother with its level declining with aging only in women (P <0.001). Degree of bother was strongly associated with ED (P = 0.005) and curved penis (P = 0.02) in men, and with difficulties reaching orgasm (P = 0.01) in women. In both genders, bother increased the likelihood of willingness to discuss the sexual problem with a physician (odds ratio [OR] 10.66 for men and OR 4.35 for women); only in women, bother was associated with treatment seeking (OR 2.81).

Conclusions

Sexual dysfunctions are not always associated with increased bother or dissatisfaction, a condition that influences treatment-seeking behavior. Such findings are of clinical importance as they aid physicians in establishing a diagnosis of a sexual disorder.
Mapping of powdery mildew resistance genes in a newly determined accession of Hordeum vulgare ssp. spontaneum
Authors: Teturová K. , Řepková J. , Lízal P. , Dreiseitl A.
Published: November 2009

The accession PI466197 of wild barley (Hordeum vulgare ssp. spontaneum) with a newly identified resistance to powdery mildew caused by Blumeria graminis f.sp. hordei was studied with the aim to localise the genes determining resistance on a barley genetic map using DNA markers. Molecular analysis was performed in the F2 population of the cross between the winter variety ‘Tiffany’ and the resistant accession PI466197, consisting of 113 plants. DNA markers, 17 simple sequence repeats (SSRs), four sequence‐tagged sites (STSs) and one cleaved amplified polymorphic sequence (CAPS) marker developed from the Mla locus sequence were used for genetic mapping and a two‐locus model of resistance was shown. One of the resistance genes originating from H. vulgare ssp. spontaneum PI466197 was localised between the markers RGH1aE1 and Bmac0213 on the short arm of chromosome 1H, which is the position consistent with the Mla locus. The other gene was proven to be highly significantly linked with GBMS247, Bmac0134 and MWG878 on the short arm of chromosome 2H. The flanking markers were Bmac0134 and MWG878, assigned 4 and 8 cM from the resistance gene, respectively. Until now, no gene conferring powdery mildew resistance originating from H. vulgare has been located on the short arm of barley chromosome 2H.
COMPARISON OF VOLATILE COMPOUND COMPOSITION OF CINNAMON (CINNAMOMUM CASSIA PRESL) BARK PREPARED BY HYDRODISTILLATION AND HEADSPACE SOLID PHASE MICROEXTRACTION
Authors: WANG RUI , WANG RUIJIANG , YANG BAO
Published: November 2009

Cinnamon is an important herbal medicine with good effects of health promotion and disease prevention. In this work, the volatile compounds of cinnamon bark were extracted by hydrodistillation and solid phase microextraction techniques. Gas chromatography/mass spectrometry was used to identify and quantify the volatile compound composition. The results indicated that trans‐cinnamaldehyde was the major component with the highest area percentage of 68.67% in the volatile oils extracted by hydrodistillation. The next were glycerol 1‐methyl ether and o‐methoxycinnamaldehyde with area percentages of 23.29 and 1.44%, respectively. The number of alkenes, alkanes, alcohols, aldehydes, amines, carboxylic acids, ethers, esters and ketones were 17, 1, 12, 8, 2, 2, 6, 3 and 6, respectively. The volatile compounds extracted by headspace solid phase microextraction were apparently different from those by hydrodistillation. Three major volatile compounds were 1,2,3,4,4a,5,6,8a‐octahydro‐7‐methyl‐4‐methylene‐1‐(1‐methylethyl)‐naphthalene, 1,2,3,4a,5,8,8a‐hexahydro‐4,7‐methyl‐1‐methylene‐1‐(1‐methylethyl)‐naphthalene and copaene with area percentages of 20.18%, 17.21% and 16.51%, respectively. Alkenes (31), alcohols (10), aldehydes (4), carboxylic acids (2) and ethers (3) were found in this assay.

PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS

Cinnamon bark has been taken as an important traditional herbal medicine due to its disease prevention effect. The volatile compounds of cinnamon bark contribute much to its bioactivities. In this work, the volatile oils were extracted by hydrodistillation technique. Head space solid phase microextraction technique was also used to detect the volatile compounds. Gas chromatography/mass spectrometry analysis showed the significant difference of volatile compound composition between two extractions. trans‐Cinnamaldehyde was confirmed to be the major component of volatile oils that has good pharmacological properties. This work is helpful for extensive development of this medicinal herb.
Advances in the treatment of neurodegenerative disorders employing nanotechnology
Authors: Modi Girish , Pillay Viness , Choonara Yahya E.
Published: November 2009

Due to limitations posed by the restrictive blood–brain barrier, conventional drug delivery systems do not provide adequate cyto‐architecture restoration and connection patterns that are essential for functional recovery in neurodegenerative disorders (NDs). Nanotechnology employs engineered materials or devices that interact with biological systems at a molecular level and could revolutionize the treatment of NDs by stimulating, responding to, and interacting with target sites to induce physiological responses while minimizing side effects. This review provides a concise discussion of the current applications of nano‐enabled drug‐delivery systems for the treatment of NDs, in particular Alzheimer's and Parkinson's diseases, and explores the future applications of nanotechnology in clinical neuroscience to develop innovative therapeutic modalities for the treatment of NDs.