bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Stress in Japanese learners engaged in online collaborative learning in English
Authors: Jung Insung , Kudo Masayuki , Choi Sook‐Kyoung
Published: January 2012

Many studies report positive learning experience and improved performance in online collaborative learning. However, such learning can also incur unnecessary or excessive stress with a resultant adverse effect on the learning. This study aimed to determine the stress factors in online collaborative learning as perceived by 226 Japanese university students using English in their online interactions, and to investigate the relationship between the learners' perceptions and these stress factors. It identified four key factors affecting stress in online collaboration: Self‐efficacy, Instructional Design, Technology Use and Collaborative Process. The implications of this finding for policy‐making and practice are discussed and further research in this field is suggested.

Practitioner Notes

What is already known about this topic

Online collaboration enhances learning effectiveness and quality of learning experience but causes stress.

Even though a certain level of stress can enhance learning, persistent or excessive stress can lead to negative experiences and poorer learning performance.

There are various factors affecting such stress in online collaboration.

What this paper adds

Four factors influence stress in online collaborative learning in English: Self‐efficacy, Instructional Design, Technology Use and Collaborative Process.

Culture is an important variable explaining learners' stress in online collaboration.

Stress‐reducing strategies for online collaborative learning in English are suggested.

Implications for practice and/or policy

Help instructors design stress‐reduced online collaborative learning environment

Help instructors apply culturally appropriate scaffolding strategies during online collaboration

Help universities review and improve English as a Foreign Language and technology literacy programmes.
REDUCING COSTS IN TIMES OF CRISIS: DELIVERY FORMS IN SMALL AND MEDIUM SIZED LOCAL GOVERNMENTS' WASTE MANAGEMENT SERVICES
Authors: ZAFRA‐GÓMEZ JOSE LUIS , PRIOR DIEGO , DÍAZ ANA MARIA PLATA , LÓPEZ‐HERNÁNDEZ ANTONIO M.
Published: January 2012

The current economic crisis is increasingly affecting the public sector, requiring stricter control of deficits, and local administrations are not exempt from these requirements. Therefore, it is essential to consider management forms that may produce cost savings in the provision of public services. In this article we propose an evaluation of municipal waste collection and disposal services to determine whether single/joint or public/private municipal service provision, together with other factors including quality, political aspects, and the socio‐economic environment, most contribute to reducing costs. The results obtained for the period 2002–08 show that joint management (inter‐municipal cooperation) and public management (in relation to single and private management systems, respectively) have a greater effect on reducing the costs of this service. Thus, small and medium‐sized local authorities can identify formulas for reducing costs and thus be in a better position to overcome the economic crisis.
THEORETICAL PERSPECTIVES ON APPROACHES TO POLICY EVALUATION IN THE EU: THE CASE OF COHESION POLICY
Authors: HOERNER JULIAN , STEPHENSON PAUL
Published: January 2012

Cohesion Policy accounts for the largest area of expenditure in the EU budget. Because of its scope and redistributive nature, evaluation is particularly important. Policy analysis tends to overlook the evaluation stage. Few empirical studies seek to apply theory to EU policy evaluation. This article questions the relevance and usefulness of theorizing evaluation practice, exploring positivist, realist, and constructivist perspectives upon approaches to evaluating Structural Funds Programmes. It illustrates how political science theories can provide scholars with useful insights into the way EU policy evaluation is carried out. It develops a toolkit for analyzing real‐world approaches to evaluation and then applies it to three separate Cohesion Policy programmes. The analysis shows how, from a theoretical perspective – and contrary to the mixed methods rhetoric of the European Commission – positivism remains the dominant approach when evaluating the Structural Funds and considers why this is so, identifying the ability to demonstrate efficiency and effectiveness, cost, influence, and evaluation culture as key characteristics.
MIXED COMPANIES AND LOCAL GOVERNANCE: NO MAN CAN SERVE TWO MASTERS
Authors: DA CRUZ NUNO FERREIRA , MARQUES RUI CUNHA
Published: January 2012

This article looks at the use of institutionalized public–private partnership (PPP) arrangements by local governments for the delivery of different types of infrastructure. It starts by analyzing the mixed company model from a theoretical point of view, in particular the potential for internal regulation and the achievement of a relational agreement. Then, after discussing the practicalities of crafting this type of governance structure, four Portuguese case studies are examined. The empirical evidence on mixed companies operating in the water, waste, transportation, and education sectors shows that the extreme complexity involved in the whole life‐cycle management of these companies usually leads to a poor protection of the public interest.
DO CHANGES IN GDP INFLUENCE COMMUTING DISTANCES? A STUDY OF SWEDISH COMMUTING PATTERNS BETWEEN 1990 AND 2006
Authors: ÖSTH JOHN , LINDGREN URBAN
Published: January 2012

Several studies have analysed the relationships between individuals' commuting distances and individual characteristics, discrimination, societal structure and planning. Largely left unexplored, however, are the long‐term relationships between changes in the economic cycle and the effects on individual commuting distances. Using regression analyses, this study focuses on the relationship between changes in GDP and commuters' response reflected in commuting distances. The empirical data consist of records of almost 12 million Swedish commuting events between 1990 and 2006. Results of the analyses indicate that changes in GDP growth rate have an impact on commuting distances, especially for younger workers, the recently unemployed and commuters in metropolitan areas.
Validation of self‐reported erythema: comparison of self‐reports, researcher assessment and objective measurements in sun worshippers and skiers
Authors: Petersen B. , Thieden E. , Lerche C.M. , Wulf H.C.
Published: January 2012

Background  Most epidemiological data of sunburn related to skin cancer have come from self‐reporting in diaries and questionnaires. We thought it important to validate the reliability of such data.

Objective  To validate the quality of self‐reported erythema by sun worshippers and skiers, and to validate the ability to determine erythema visually compared with objectively measured erythema.

Methods  The skin in a group of sun worshippers in Tenerife and of skiers in Austria was closely monitored over a week. The participants used a diary to record any erythema assessed on different skin sites and underwent a twice daily skin examination by researchers who assessed erythema on the same sites. Lastly, the erythema assessment was validated by objective measurements.

Results  We found that the participants’ agreed with researchers’ assessment of erythema in only 57–61% of cases, and that the researchers detected up to 28% more of the objectively measured erythema than the participants did. We also found that, even for the trained eye (researchers), it was difficult to detect an increase in erythema as only 71–91% of those cases with an increase >15 in measured erythema percentage were detected in the evening. Possibly, detection was impeded by a simultaneous increase in pigmentation.

Conclusion  Self‐assessment of erythema from diaries is unreliable. Erythema is considerably underestimated and possibly neglected. Even for the trained eye, it can be difficult to detect erythema.
Inherited platelet disorders
Authors: Boudreaux Mary K.
Published: January 2012

Objective

To present the latest information on inherited platelet disorders in domestic animals.

Data Sources

Research articles and reviews spanning 40 years available on PubMed.

Human Data Synthesis

Information regarding inherited platelet disorders in people is plentiful and often descriptions of human conditions have led to the identification of similar disorders in veterinary species. There are exceptions, however, in which specific inherited platelet disorders were first described in animals with subsequent identification in people.

Veterinary Data Synthesis

Many inherited platelet disorders have been documented in animals at the functional and molecular level and that information is presented in this review.

Conclusions

Much progress has been made in the past 20 years in the characterization of inherited platelet disorders in animals at the functional, biochemical, and molecular level. The study of inherited platelet disorders has greatly enhanced the understanding of platelet physiology and has led in some instances to the development of platelet inhibitory medications. Characterization of inherited disorders at the molecular level greatly facilitates diagnosis and identification of affected and heterozygous animals thus avoiding propagation of the defect by breeders. When used with available functional and biochemical diagnostic tests, it significantly enhances the quality of care and case management.
Natural and synthetic modulators of SK (Kca2) potassium channels inhibit magnesium‐dependent activity of the kinase‐coupled cation channel TRPM7
Authors: Chubanov V , Mederos y Schnitzler M , Meißner M , Schäfer S , Abstiens K , Hofmann T , Gudermann T
Published: January 2012

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSETransient receptor potential cation channel subfamily M member 7 (TRPM7) is a bifunctional protein comprising a TRP ion channel segment linked to an α‐type protein kinase domain. TRPM7 is essential for proliferation and cell growth. Up‐regulation of TRPM7 function is involved in anoxic neuronal death, cardiac fibrosis and tumour cell proliferation. The goal of this work was to identify non‐toxic inhibitors of the TRPM7 channel and to assess the effect of blocking endogenous TRPM7 currents on the phenotype of living cells.

EXPERIMENTAL APPROACHWe developed an aequorin bioluminescence‐based assay of TRPM7 channel activity and performed a hypothesis‐driven screen for inhibitors of the channel. The candidates identified were further assessed electrophysiologically and in cell biological experiments.

KEY RESULTSTRPM7 currents were inhibited by modulators of small conductance Ca2+‐activated K+channels (KCa2.1–2.3; SK) channels, including the antimalarial plant alkaloid quinine, CyPPA, dequalinium, NS8593, SKA31 and UCL 1684. The most potent compound NS8593 (IC501.6 µM) specifically targeted TRPM7 as compared with other TRP channels, interfered with Mg2+‐dependent regulation of TRPM7 channel and inhibited the motility of cultured cells. NS8593 exhibited full and reversible block of native TRPM7‐like currents in HEK 293 cells, freshly isolated smooth muscle cells, primary podocytes and ventricular myocytes.

CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONSThis study reveals a tight overlap in the pharmacological profiles of TRPM7 and KCa2.1–2.3 channels. NS8593 acts as a negative gating modulator of TRPM7 and is well‐suited to study functional features and cellular roles of endogenous TRPM7.
Hospitality and the Maternal
Authors: Aristarkhova Irina
Published: January 2012

This article engages the concept of hospitality as it relates to the maternal. I critically evaluate the current conceptions of hospitality by Emmanuel Levinas and Jacques Derrida, focusing on their dematerialized definition of the feminine found at the heart of hospitality, and Derrida's aporia of hospitality that deals with ownership. The foundation of hospitality, I show, is the maternal relation and its specific acts of hospitality that encompass the notions of gift and generosity. While remaining unthought in philosophy, however, maternal acts of hospitality are appropriated when hospitality is defined as interiority, habitation, expectancy, and unconditional welcoming of the other within oneself. I argue that hospitality would remain Derrida's and his proponents' “impossible” ethic as long as it undercuts its own promise, does not fully think through its foundation in the maternal, and fails to welcome the mother unconditionally.
How good are we at diagnosing seizures based on semiology?
Authors: Seneviratne Udaya , Rajendran Deepa , Brusco Maria , Phan Thanh G.
Published: January 2012

The accuracy of visual diagnosis of seizures based on semiologic features among different health care professionals is largely unknown. We evaluated the ability of health care professionals to correctly diagnose epileptic seizures (ES) and psychogenic nonepileptic seizures (PNES) from a random selection of 10 ES and 10 PNES videos. The 20 videos (without accompanying electroencephalography) were shown only once, in a random mix to different groups of health care professionals. These individuals, blinded to the diagnosis, were asked to classify the seizure as ES or PNES. We used summary receiver operating characteristic (SROC) curves to determine the accuracy for each group. Next we calculated the difference between the area under the curve (AUC) of SROC between neurologists (as the reference) and the other groups of health care professionals. Neurologists achieved significantly higher AUC results compared to other health care professionals. These results indicate a wide range of diagnostic accuracy among different health care professionals and have practical implications for the evaluation of patients with seizure disorders in acute settings.
Pentylenetetrazole‐induced seizures cause acute, but not chronic, mTOR pathway activation in rat
Authors: Zhang Bo , Wong Michael
Published: January 2012

Purpose:  The mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) pathway has been implicated in contributing to progressive epileptogenesis in models of chronic epilepsy. Conversely, seizures themselves may directly cause acute activation of the mTOR pathway. To isolate the direct effects of seizures on the mTOR pathway, the time course and mechanisms of mTOR activation were investigated with acute seizures induced by pentylenetetrazole (PTZ), which does not lead to chronic epilepsy.

Methods:  Western blot analysis was used to assay the phosphorylation of Akt and S6, as measures of activation of the phosphoinositide 3‐kinase (PI3K)/Akt and mTOR pathways, respectively, at various time points after PTZ‐induced seizures in rats. The ability of wortmannin, a PI3K inhibitor, to inhibit PTZ seizure–induced activation of the mTOR pathway was tested.

Key Findings:  PTZ‐induced seizures produced an immediate, transient mTOR activation lasting several hours, but no later, more chronic activation over days to weeks. This acute stimulation of the mTOR pathway by PTZ‐induced seizures was mediated by upstream PI3K/Akt pathway activation and was blocked by a PI3K inhibitor.

Significance:  Compared with models of chronic epilepsy that exhibit biphasic (acute and chronic) mTOR pathway activation, PTZ‐induced seizures produce only acute, but not chronic, mTOR activation. These results in the PTZ seizure model highlight potential differences in the involvement of the mTOR pathway between self‐limited seizures and progressive epileptogenesis. These findings also suggest a potential therapeutic role of PI3K inhibitors in epilepsy.
Increased cortical BOLD signal anticipates generalized spike and wave discharges in adolescents and adults with idiopathic generalized epilepsies
Authors: Benuzzi Francesca , Mirandola Laura , Pugnaghi Matteo , Farinelli Valentina , Tassinari Carlo Alberto , Capovilla Giuseppe , Cantalupo Gaetano , Beccaria Francesca , Nichelli Paolo , Meletti Stefano
Published: January 2012

Purpose:  Electroencephalography–functional magnetic resonance imaging (EEG‐fMRI) coregistration has recently revealed that several brain structures are involved in generalized spike and wave discharges (GSWDs) in idiopathic generalized epilepsies (IGEs). In particular, deactivations and activations have been observed within the so‐called brain default mode network (DMN) and thalamus, respectively. In the present study we analyzed the dynamic time course of blood oxygen level–dependent (BOLD) changes preceding and following 3 Hz GSWDs in a group of adolescent and adult patients with IGE who presented with absence seizures (AS). Our aim was to evaluate cortical BOLD changes before, during, and after GSWD onset.

Methods:  Twenty‐one patients with IGE underwent EEG‐fMRI coregistration. EEG‐related analyses were run both at the single‐subject and at group level (random effect). The time‐course analysis was conducted for 3 s time windows before, during, and after GSWDs, and they were included until no further BOLD signal changes were observed.

Key Findings:  Fifteen patients (nine female, mean age 28 years) had GSWDs during EEG‐fMRI coregistration (262 total events, mean duration 4 s). Time‐course group analysis showed BOLD increments starting approximately 10 s before GSWD onset located in frontal and parietal cortical areas, and especially in the precuneus‐posterior cingulate region. At GSWD onset, BOLD increments were located in thalamus, cerebellum, and anterior cingulate gyrus, whereas BOLD decrements were observed in the DMN regions persisting until 9 s after onset.

Significance:  Hemodynamic changes (BOLD increments) occurred in specific cortical areas, namely the precuneus/posterior cingulate, lateral parietal, and frontal cortices, several seconds before EEG onset of GSWD. A dysfunction of these brain regions, some of which belongs to the DMN, may be crucial in generating GSWDs in patients with IGE.
Development and application of a high‐throughput microneutralization assay: lack of xenotropic murine leukemia virus–related virus and/or murine leukemia virus detection in blood donors
Authors: Zhou Yanchen , Steffen Imke , Montalvo Leilani , Lee Tzong‐Hae , Zemel Reeve , Switzer William M. , Tang Shaohua , Jia Hongwei , Heneine Walid , Winkelman Valerie , Tailor Chetankumar S. , Ikeda Yasuhiro , Simmons Graham
Published: January 2012

BACKGROUND: Xenotropic murine leukemia virus (MLV)‐related virus (XMRV) and other related MLVs have been described with chronic fatigue syndrome and certain types of prostate cancer. In addition, prevalence rates as high as 7% have been reported in blood donors, raising the risk of transfusion‐related transmission. Several laboratories have utilized microneutralization assays as a surrogate marker for detection of anti‐MLV serologic responses—with up to 25% of prostate cancer patients reported to harbor neutralizing antibody responses.

STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS: We developed a high‐throughput microneutralization assay for research studies on blood donors using retroviral vectors pseudotyped with XMRV‐specific envelopes. Infection with these pseudotypes was neutralized by sera from both macaques and mice challenged with XMRV, but not preimmune serum. A total of 354 plasma samples from blood donors in the Reno/Tahoe area were screened for neutralization.

RESULTS: A total of 6.5% of donor samples gave moderate neutralization of XMRV, but not control pseudotypes. However, further testing by Western blot revealed no evidence of antibodies against MLVs in any of these samples. Furthermore, no evidence of infectious virus or viral nucleic acid was observed.

CONCLUSION: A microneutralization assay was developed for detection of XMRV and can be applied in a high‐throughput format for large‐scale studies. Although a proportion of blood donors demonstrated the ability to block XMRV envelope‐mediated infection, we found no evidence that this inhibition was mediated by specific antibodies elicited by exposure to XMRV or MLV. It is likely that this moderate neutralization is mediated through another, nonspecific mechanism.
Cavernous Carotid Pseudoaneurysm Following Transsphenoidal Surgery
Authors: Fu Michael , Patel Toral , Baehring Joachim M. , Bulsara Ketan R.
Published: January 2012

Pseudoaneurysm of the internal carotid artery (ICA) as a result of injury during transsphenoidal surgery is a rare but serious complication. We present a review of this subject, identifying 22 such cases in the literature, and contribute an unusual case of our own. Among our cohort, 23% of patients had no evidence of vascular injury or hemorrhage during the initial transsphenoidal operation, and presented at an average of 83 days after surgery. The average time to diagnosis for patients with intraoperative bleeding was 64 days after surgery. Epistaxis was the most common initial presenting symptom, seen in 41% of patients, and traditional angiography was employed in every case to make the diagnosis of pseudoaneurysm. Though complete occlusion of the ICA was ultimately required in 41% of patients, the remainder were treated with a variety of modalities. While intraoperative hemorrhage is certainly the most predictive indicator of iatrogenic vascular damage, in its absence, other signs such as postoperative bruits may be predictive of pseudoaneurysm formation as well. The continued accumulation of these unique cases will hopefully provide definitive recommendations on the early recognition and treatment of this serious condition, especially regarding the emerging role of endovascular therapy in its management.
Is a Head CT Necessary After Uncomplicated Coiling of Unruptured Intracranial Aneuryms?
Authors: Jumaa Mouhammad A. , Aghaebrahim Amin , Zaidi Syed F. , Jankowitz Brian , Jovin Tudor G. , Horowitz Michael B.
Published: January 2012

In this study, we sought to determine whether routine head computed tomographies (CTs) after uncomplicated coil embolization of intracranial aneurysms can add any significant clinical value.

METHODS

We retrospectively reviewed the medical records of 139 patients with unruptured aneurysms who underwent 150 elective coiling procedures between January 2008 and June 2010. A total of 6 head CTs were obtained emergently after intraprocedural complications and 122 head CTs were obtained routinely after uncomplicated coil embolization of intracranial aneurysms.

RESULTS

The 122 head CTs that were obtained routinely after uncomplicated coil embolization of unruptured intracranial aneurysms did not show any acute or subacute changes.

CONCLUSION

A head CT after uncomplicated coil embolization of an intracranial aneurysm does not add any significant clinical value and should not be ordered routinely.
Anatomic Differences in Early Blindness: A Deformation‐Based Morphometry MRI Study
Authors: Yang Chunlan , Wu Shuicai , Lu Wangsheng , Bai Yanping , Gao Hongjian
Published: January 2012

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

This study aims to investigate the regional changes in the early onset of blindness using the deformation‐based morphometry (DBM) method.

METHODS

A total of 15 early blindness and 30 gender‐ and age‐matched sighted control subjects were recruited for the study. Statistically significant changes in regional volume were analyzed using DBM through HAMMER registration. Using this technique, changes in regional tissue volume can be detected on the basis of the deformation field derived from the warping subject to the template image. A voxelwise estimation of the morphological differences between the two groups can be acquired after applying a threshold (P < .001, uncorrected) to the statistic maps.

RESULTS

Regions with enlarged volume in the brains of blind subjects are mainly localized in the left associated visual cortex, posterior cingulated cortex, and cerebellum, whereas volume reductions are primarily localized in the left early visual cortex.

CONCLUSIONS

DBM is an effective method for detecting entire brain structural changes in blindness. Visual deprivation actually alters the local structural organization during the early critical periods of neurodevelopment. Volume increases outside the occipital lobe detected with DBM may suggest compensatory adaptations.
Expression of kallikrein‐related peptidase 4 in dental and non‐dental tissues
Authors: Simmer James P. , Richardson Amelia S. , Smith Charles E. , Hu Yuanyuan , Hu Jan C‐C.
Published: January 2012

Simmer JP, Richardson AS, Smith CE, Hu Y, Hu JC‐C. Expression of kallikrein‐related peptidase 4 in dental and non‐dental tissues.
 
Eur J Oral Sci 2011; 119 (Suppl. 1): 226–233. © 2011 Eur J Oral Sci

Kallikrein‐related peptidase 4 (KLK4) is critical for proper dental enamel formation. Klk4 null mice, and humans with two defective KLK4 alleles have obvious enamel defects, with no other apparent phenotype. KLK4 mRNA or protein is reported to be present in tissues besides teeth, including prostate, ovary, kidney, liver, and salivary gland. In this study we used the Klk4 knockout/NLS‐lacZ knockin mouse to assay Klk4 expression using β‐galactosidase histochemistry. Incubations for 5 h were used to detect KLK4 expression with minimal endogenous background, while overnight incubations susceptible to false positives were used to look for trace KLK4 expression. Developing maxillary molars at postnatal days 5, 6, 7, 8, and 14, developing mandibular incisors at postnatal day 14, and selected non‐dental tissues from adult wild‐type and Klk4lacZ/lacZ mice were examined by X‐gal histochemistry. After 5 h of incubation, X‐gal staining was observed specifically in the nuclei of maturation‐stage ameloblasts in molars and incisors from Klk4lacZ/lacZ mice and was detected weakly in the nuclei of salivary gland ducts and in patches of prostate epithelia. We conclude that KLK4 is predominantly a tooth‐specific protease with low expression in submandibular salivary gland and prostate, and with no detectable expression in liver, kidney, testis, ovary, oviduct, epididymis, and vas deferens.
Recovery and identification of mature enamel proteins in ancient teeth
Authors: Porto Isabel M. , Laure Helen J. , Tykot Robert H. , de Sousa Frederico B. , Rosa Jose C. , Gerlach Raquel F.
Published: January 2012

Porto IM, Laure HJ, Tykot RH, de Sousa FB, Rosa JC, Gerlach RF. Recovery and identification of mature enamel proteins in ancient teeth.
 
Eur J Oral Sci 2011; 119 (Suppl. 1): 83–87. © 2011 Eur J Oral Sci

Proteins in mineralized tissues provide a window to the past, and dental enamel is peculiar in being highly resistant to diagenesis and providing information on a very narrow window of time, such as the developing period; however, to date, complete proteins have not been extracted successfully from ancient teeth. In this work we tested the ability of a whole‐crown micro‐etch technique to obtain enamel protein samples from mature enamel of recently extracted (n = 2) and ancient (n = 2; ad 800 to 1100) third molars. Samples were analyzed using matrix‐assisted laser desorption/ionization time‐of‐flight/time‐of‐flight (MALDI‐TOF/TOF) mass spectrometry, and the resulting spectra were searched against the Swiss‐Prot protein database using the Mascot software for protein identification. In our protocol, the separation of proteins in gel is not necessary. Successful identification of specific enamel proteins was obtained after whole‐crown superficial enamel etching with 10% HCl. Most protein fragments recovered from dry teeth and mummy teeth contained amino‐terminal amelogenin peptides. Only one peptide specific for the amelogenin X‐isoform was identified. In conclusion, the reported techniques allowed the successful recovery of proteins specific to dental enamel from samples obtained in a very conservative manner, which may also be important in forensic and/or archeological science.
Tuft protein: protein cross‐linking in enamel development
Authors: Robinson Colin , Hudson Jackie
Published: January 2012

Robinson C, Hudson J. Tuft protein: protein cross‐linking in enamel development.
 
Eur J Oral Sci 2011; 119 (Suppl. 1): 50–54. © 2011 Eur J Oral Sci

Tuft protein is a material associated with enamel tufts, and resides in dental enamel primarily at the enamel–dentine junction. It is located primarily at prism peripheries and extends in a very attenuated form towards the enamel outer surface. While it appears to be a mixture of components, partial sequencing and antibody studies have demonstrated the presence of amelin, a protein associated with prism boundaries. Biochemical investigations have been seriously hampered by the fact that tuft protein is extremely insoluble in a range of solvents, including mineral acids, EDTA, chaotropic agents, and detergents including SDS. This raised the question as to whether it could be chemically cross‐linked. Antibodies to γ‐glutamyl cross‐linking peptide were used to determine the presence of a cross‐linking isopeptide. In all cases examined, a positive response indicated that tuft protein does display chemical cross‐linking, which may explain the insoluble nature of this material. This may be a mechanism to prevent protein degradation at the enamel–dentine junction during the degradation of enamel matrix, which occurs during amelogenesis.
Getting in Touch with the Clathrin Terminal Domain
Authors: Lemmon Sandra K. , Traub Linton M.
Published: January 2012

The N‐terminal domain (TD) of the clathrin heavy chain is folded into a seven‐bladed β‐propeller that projects inward from the polyhedral outer clathrin coat. As the most membrane‐proximal portion of assembled clathrin, the TD is a major protein–protein interaction node. Contact with the TD β‐propeller occurs through short peptide sequences typically located within intrinsically disordered segments of coat components that usually are elements of the membrane‐apposed, inner ‘adaptor’ coat layer. A huge variation in TD‐binding motifs is known and now four spatially discrete interaction surfaces upon the β‐propeller have been delineated. An important operational feature of the TD interaction sites in vivo is functional redundancy. The recent discovery that ‘pitstop’ chemical inhibitors apparently occupy only one of the four TD interaction surfaces, but potently block clathrin‐mediated endocytosis, warrants careful consideration of the underlying molecular basis for this inhibition.
Environmental geometry and heterogeneity–diversity relationships in spatially explicit simulated communities
Authors: Smith Tyler W. , Lundholm Jeremy T.
Published: January 2012

Question

How are heterogeneity–diversity relationships (HDRs) influenced by spatial structure in environmental variables, sampling grain and the extent of niche differentiation?

Methods

We developed a spatially explicit simulation model incorporating variable dispersal distances and competition strength on fractal landscapes. By varying the grain used to sample these models, we examined scaling patterns in HDR metrics at fine scales (sampling grain from 100 to 10 000 individuals, sampling extent ca. 260 000 individuals).

Results

Environmental geometry exerts an important influence on the ecological processes responsible for HDRs. Unique geometric characteristics of individual landscapes can greatly influence emergent community properties; field studies frequently use inadequate sample sizes to account for this phenomenon. Two opposing processes influence spatial scaling of HDRs: variance partitioning, which favours smaller‐grained samples, and mass effects, which favour larger‐grained samples. In assessing HDRs, diversity is more sensitive than species richness, and should be the preferred measure in field studies. The environmental geometry and age of a community interact: compared to high fractal dimension landscapes, low fractal dimension landscapes are slower to develop HDRs, but in the long term their HDRs will be higher.

Conclusions

Our study demonstrates that, despite the superficial simplicity of the concept, HDRs vary in complex and non‐intuitive ways, and warrant further theoretical and empirical study. More generally, environmental geometry is likely to exert a strong influence on many emergent community processes, but we do not yet have a firm understanding of this relationship.
Expression of Eps8 correlates with poor survival in oral squamous cell carcinoma
Authors: CHU Pei‐Yi , LIOU Jia‐Hung , LIN Yueh‐Min , CHEN Chih‐Jung , CHEN Mu‐Kuan , LIN Shu‐Hui , YEH Chung‐Min , WANG Hsin‐Kai , MAA Ming‐Chei , LEU Tzeng‐Horng , CHANG Nai‐Wen , HSU Nicholas C. , YEH Kun‐Tu
Published: January 2012

Aims:  Epidermal growth factor receptor pathway substrate 8 (Eps8) is a signaling protein implicated in the development of many human cancers including oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC). This study examined the expression of Eps8 and assessed its significance in patients with OSCC.

Methods:  Immunohistochemical staining for Eps8 was conducted in 205 cases of OSCC collected over 7 years. The results were analyzed and correlated with patients' clinical outcomes.

Results:  We identified Eps8 expression in 186 of the 205 cases of OSCC (91%) and the aberrance occurred primarily in the cytoplasm of OSCC cells. Univariate analysis revealed that patients with Eps8 expression had significantly poorer 5‐year overall survival (OS) than those without it (43% vs 74%, P = 0.014). Eps8 expression was also identified as an independent predictive factor for poorer OS by a multivariate analysis in regression modeling (P = 0.021, HR = 2.7). A Kaplan–Meier analysis showed that patients with positive Eps8 expression had a significantly poorer OS than patients with negative/low Eps8 expression (P = 0.038). The difference in disease‐free survival between positive Eps8 expression and negative/low Eps8 expression nearly reached statistical significance (P = 0.051).

Conclusion:  Eps8 is frequently expressed in OSCC. The aberrant expression of Eps8 closely correlated with poor survival in patients with OSCC.
Pilot study evaluating the role of cardiac magnetic resonance imaging in monitoring adjuvant trastuzumab therapy for breast cancer
Authors: LAWLEY Claire , WAINWRIGHT Camilla , SEGELOV Eva , LYNCH Jodi , BEITH Jane , MCCROHON Jane
Published: January 2012

Aim:  To explore the incidence of subclinical cardiotoxicity in women treated with adjuvant trastuzumab in the early breast cancer setting using cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (cMRI).

Methods:  The cardiac function and myocardial tissue characteristics of 25 women who had completed adjuvant trastuzumab therapy greater than 6 months previously was evaluated using MRI and comparing this with symptoms and routine echocardiography.

Results:  Evidence of myocardial tissue damage was seen in two women in the absence of functional change or previous cardiac symptoms.

Conclusion:  Tissue characterization using cMRI may provide a useful tool in defining trastuzumab induced cardiotoxicity.
Preoperative taxane‐based chemotherapy in a standardized protocol for locally advanced breast cancer
Authors: CHAN Arlene , WILLSHER Peter C , HASTRICH Diana J , ANDERSON James , BARHAM Tony , LATHAM Bruce , REDFERN Andrew , VAN DER SCHAAF Agatha , THOMSON Jacqui , JOSEPH David , INGRAM David
Published: January 2012

Aims:  To assess the feasibility of a standardized multidisciplinary protocol for the management of locally advanced breast cancer (LABC). We also evaluated the accuracy of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and positron emission tomography (PET) in predicting the extent of residual disease.

Methods:  Patients with LABC were offered preoperative chemotherapy of docetaxel 75 mg/m2, doxorubicin 50 mg/m2, cyclophosphamide 500 mg/m2 (TAC), every 21 days for six cycles, until progression or intolerable toxicity. MRI and PET were performed at baseline and six cycles. Patients underwent a mastectomy or complete local excision, followed by radiotherapy. Trastuzumab and endocrine treatment were recommended where appropriate.

Results:  Between April 2005 and October 2006, 51 patients were included from three institutions, and 50 received TAC (90% commenced within 35 days of diagnosis), with 44 patients completing six cycles (88%). Pathological complete response was seen in 10 patients (19.6%); all had invasive ductal carcinoma. No patient with invasive lobular carcinoma achieved pathological complete response. MRI was the most accurate method of assessing the extent of residual cancer. In total, 45 (88%) patients underwent surgery within the protocol‐specified time and 12 (23%) patients had breast conservation surgery. At a median follow‐up of 41.3 months, there were three local recurrences. Ten patients (19.6%) developed distant metastases, resulting in an 80% actuarial disease‐free survival.

Conclusion:  This regimen of TAC is effective and well‐tolerated and is likely to result in improved outcomes since patients can receive optimal multimodality treatments.
Low Temperature Sintering and Dielectric Properties of Alumina‐Filled Glass Composites for LTCC Applications
Authors: Rajesh Surendran , Jantunen Heli , Letz Martin , Pichler‐Willhelm Sabine
Published: January 2012

Glass + ceramic composites using lead‐free ultralow‐softening point glass matrices (brand names G018‐249 and G018‐250) with alumina fillers are investigated. The composites show good densification with near zero shrinkage at very low sintering temperature and do not show either the formation of secondary crystalline phases or dissolution of alumina. They further show no reactivity with the silver electrodes at a sintering temperature of 650°C and have permittivities of 9.5 and 8.8, loss tangents of 0.0068 and 0.0087 at 1 MHz for the samples containing G018‐249 glass and G018‐250 glass, respectively.
School Engagement Among Aboriginal Students in Northern Canada: Perspectives From Activity Settings Theory
Authors: Davison Colleen M. , Hawe Penelope
Published: January 2012

BACKGROUND: Educational disengagement is a public health concern among Aboriginal populations in many countries. It has been investigated previously in a variety of ways, with the conventional focus being on the children themselves. Activity settings are events and places, theorized in terms of their symbols, roles, time frame, funds, people, and physical location. According to the theory, particular behaviors and experiences are shaped by different configurations among these elements. This study explored how activity settings theory might provide new insight on school engagement.

METHODS: Ethnographic study was undertaken at a grades primary to 12 school in a remote First Nations community in Canada's Northwest Territories. We collected data through interviews, focus groups, archival material, and field notes from 7 months of participant observation. An activity settings model acted as template for data collection and interpretation.

RESULTS: Different aspects of the school's physical layout, routines, procedures, transport systems, mix of people, and rules were able to be systemically assessed and classified as either creating or eroding engagement.

CONCLUSION: This study applies an activity setting analysis to school engagement, thereby allowing researchers to investigate the dynamic and nested nature of context or environmental influences on engagement. It provides grounded observations that invite direct opportunities for action on dimensions that teachers and practitioners might not otherwise “see.”
Challenges to Collaboration in School Mental Health and Strategies for Overcoming Them
Authors: Weist Mark D. , Mellin Elizabeth A. , Chambers Kerri L. , Lever Nancy A. , Haber Deborah , Blaber Christine
Published: January 2012

BACKGROUND: This article reviews challenges to collaboration in school mental health (SMH) and presents practical strategies for overcoming them.

METHODS: The importance of collaboration to the success of SMH programs is reviewed, with a particular focus on collaboration between school‐ and community‐employed professionals. Challenges to effective collaboration between school‐ and community‐employed professionals in SMH are considered. Strategies for overcoming challenges to effective collaboration are presented.

RESULTS: Marginalization of the SMH agenda, limited interdisciplinary teamwork, restricted coordination mechanisms, confidentiality concerns, and resource and funding issues are key challenges to collaboration. Strategies targeted toward each of these challenges may help improve the effectiveness of SMH programs and ultimately student outcomes.

CONCLUSIONS: Collaboration between school‐ and community‐employed professionals is critical to the success of SMH programs. Despite its promise, the success of SMH programs can be jeopardized by ineffective collaboration between school‐ and community‐employed professionals. Strategies to overcome marginalization, promote authentic interdisciplinary teamwork, build effective coordination mechanisms, protect student and family confidentiality, and promote policy change and resource enhancements should be addressed in SMH improvement planning.
Strategies to Potentiate Antimicrobial Photoinactivation by Overcoming Resistant Phenotypes†
Authors: Vera Domingo Mariano Adolfo , Haynes Mark H. , Ball Anthony R. , Dai Tianhong , Astrakas Christos , Kelso Michael J. , Hamblin Michael R. , Tegos George P.
Published: January 2012

Conventional antimicrobial strategies have become increasingly ineffective due to the emergence of multidrug resistance among pathogenic microorganisms. The need to overcome these deficiencies has triggered the exploration of alternative treatments and unconventional approaches towards controlling microbial infections. Photodynamic therapy (PDT) was originally established as an anticancer modality and is currently used in the treatment of age‐related macular degeneration. The concept of photodynamic inactivation requires cell exposure to light energy, typically wavelengths in the visible region that causes the excitation of photosensitizer molecules either exogenous or endogenous, which results in the production of reactive oxygen species (ROS). ROS produce cell inactivation and death through modification of intracellular components. The versatile characteristics of PDT prompted its investigation as an anti‐infective discovery platform. Advances in understanding of microbial physiology have shed light on a series of pathways, and phenotypes that serve as putative targets for antimicrobial drug discovery. Investigations of these phenotypic elements in concert with PDT have been reported focused on multidrug efflux systems, biofilms, virulence and pathogenesis determinants. In many instances the results are promising but only preliminary and require further investigation. This review discusses the different antimicrobial PDT strategies and highlights the need for highly informative and comprehensive discovery approaches.
Outdoor adventure for young people with a mental illness
Authors: Schell Lori , Cotton Sue , Luxmoore Marni
Published: January 2012

Aim: The study aims to evaluate the efficacy of an Outdoor Adventure Group (OAG) for young people with a mental illness. It was hypothesized that participating in OAG would result in an increase in self‐esteem, sense of mastery and social connectedness, compared with those who attended other Psychosocial Recovery Group Program groups based at Orygen Youth Health. In addition, those in the OAG would show an improved performance of personal goals.

Methods: Twenty‐one youths (aged 15 to 25) participated in the OAG and 12 participated in other Psychosocial Recovery Group Program groups and served as the comparison group. Pre‐ and post‐evaluation measures included (i) Rosenberg Self Esteem Scale; (ii) Mastery Scale; (iii) Social Connectedness Scale; and (iv) personal goals for attending the OAG, rated 1–10 on current performance. The groups were based at Orygen Youth Health, Melbourne, Australia and run over an 8 to 10‐week period.

Results: Participants of the OAG experienced an improvement in self‐esteem (P = 0.001) and mastery (P = 0.001); these changes were not observed in the controls. There were a total of 80 personal goals for the OAG, with an average of 3.81 per person, and performance significantly improved in 66 (82.5%) goals. There were 10 categories of goals; the most common goals were related to self‐improvement and social skills development.

Conclusions: Increased self‐esteem and mastery, and achievement of personal goals gained through the OAG, may facilitate, or be a precursor to, a young person's psychosocial recovery.
Phages limit the evolution of bacterial antibiotic resistance in experimental microcosms
Authors: Zhang Quan‐Guo , Buckling Angus
Published: January 2012

The evolution of multi‐antibiotic resistance in bacterial pathogens, often resulting from de novo mutations, is creating a public health crisis. Phages show promise for combating antibiotic‐resistant bacteria, the efficacy of which, however, may also be limited by resistance evolution. Here, we suggest that phages may be used as supplements to antibiotics in treating initially sensitive bacteria to prevent resistance evolution, as phages are unaffected by most antibiotics and there should be little cross‐resistance to antibiotics and phages. In vitro experiments using the bacterium Pseudomonas fluorescens, a lytic phage, and the antibiotic kanamycin supported this prediction: an antibiotic–phage combination dramatically decreased the chance of bacterial population survival that indicates resistance evolution, compared with antibiotic treatment alone, whereas the phage alone did not affect bacterial survival. This effect of the combined treatment in preventing resistance evolution was robust to immigration of bacteria from an untreated environment, but not to immigration from environment where the bacteria had coevolved with the phage. By contrast, an isogenic hypermutable strain constructed from the wild‐type P. fluorescens evolved resistance to all treatments regardless of immigration, but typically suffered very large fitness costs. These results suggest that an antibiotic–phage combination may show promise as an antimicrobial strategy.
Questionnaire layout and wording influence prevalence and risk estimates of respiratory symptoms in a population cohort
Authors: Ekerljung Linda , Rönmark Eva , Lötvall Jan , Wennergren Göran , Torén Kjell , Lundbäck Bo
Published: January 2012

Objective:  Results of epidemiological studies are greatly influenced by the chosen methodology. The study aims to investigate how two frequently used questionnaires (Qs), with partly different layout, influence the prevalence of respiratory symptoms.

Study Design and Setting:  A booklet containing two Qs, the Global Allergy and Asthma European Network Q and the Obstructive Lung Disease in Northern Sweden Q, was mailed to 30 000 subjects aged 16–75 years in West Sweden; 62% responded. Sixteen questions were included in the analysis: seven identical between the Qs, four different in set‐up and five with the same layout but different wording. Comparisons were made using differences in proportions, observed agreement and Kappa statistics.

Results:  Identical questions yielded similar prevalences with high observed agreement and kappa values. Questions with different set‐up or differences in wording resulted in significantly different prevalences with lower observed agreement and kappa values. In general, the use of follow‐up questions, excluding subjects answering no to the initial question, resulted in 2.9–6.7% units lower prevalence.

Conclusion:  The question set‐up has great influences on epidemiological results, and specifically questions that are set up to be excluded based on a previous no answer leads to lower prevalence compared with detached questions. Therefore, Q layout and exact wording of questions has to be carefully considered when comparing studies.

Please cite this paper as: Ekerljung L, Rönmark E, Lötvall J, Wennergren G, Torén K and Lundbäck B. Questionnaire layout and wording influence prevalence and risk estimates of respiratory symptoms in a population cohort. Clin Respir J 2013; 7: 53–63.