bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
D2 dopamine modulation of corticoaccumbens synaptic responses changes during adolescence
Authors: Benoit‐Marand Marianne , O'Donnell Patricio
Published: March 2008

Dopaminergic afferents from the ventral tegmental area (VTA) modulate information processing in the nucleus accumbens (NA), a brain region critical for motivation and reward mechanisms. In NA medium spiny neurons (MSNs) from young rats, D2 agonists have been shown to decrease the amplitude of corticoaccumbens synaptic responses. As several dopamine‐related functions change during adolescence, we assessed the D2 modulation of cortical inputs with whole‐cell recordings in slices obtained from adult and preadolescent rats. The D2 agonist quinpirole (5 µm) decreased synaptic response of NA MSNs to electrical cortical stimulation in slices from preadolescent rats. In slices from adult rats, however, quinpirole increased both the amplitude of evoked synaptic responses and the frequency of spontaneous synaptic events. These effects were blocked by the GABA‐A antagonist picrotoxin (50 µm), revealing a D2‐mediated decrease These results suggest that D2 receptors modulate NA neurons differently in young and adult rats, due to the emergence of a D2‐facilitated GABA component in corticoaccumbens responses during adolescence.
The histamine H1‐receptor mediates the motivational effects of novelty
Authors: Zlomuzica A. , Viggiano D. , De Souza Silva M. A. , Ishizuka T. , Carnevale U. A. Gironi , Ruocco L. A. , Watanabe T. , Sadile A. G. , Huston J. P. , Dere E.
Published: March 2008

Novelty‐induced arousal has motivational effects and can reinforce behavior. The mechanisms by which novelty acts as a reinforcer are unknown. Novelty‐induced arousal can be either rewarding or aversive dependent on its intensity and the preceding state of arousal. The brain's histamine system has been implicated in both arousal and reinforcement. Histamine and histamine‐1‐receptor (H1R) agonists induced arousal and wakefulness in humans and rodents, e.g. by stimulating cortical acetylcholine (ACh) release. The H1R has also been implicated in processes of brain reward via interactions with the nigrostriatal‐ and mesolimbic dopamine (DA) systems. We asked whether the motivational effects of novelty‐induced arousal are compromised in H1R knockout (KO) mice. The H1R‐KO mice failed to develop a conditioned place‐preference induced by novel objects. Even though they still explore novel objects, their reinforcing value is diminished. Furthermore, they showed impaired novelty‐induced alternation in the Y‐maze. Rearing activity and emotional behavior in a novel environment was also altered in H1R‐KO mice, whereas object‐place recognition was unaffected. The H1R‐KO mice had higher ACh concentrations in the frontal cortex and amygdala (AMY). In the latter, the H1R‐KO mice had also increased levels of DA, but a lower dihydrophenylacetic acid/DA ratio. Furthermore, the H1R‐KO mice had also increased tyrosine hydroxylase immunoreactivity in the basolateral anterior, basolateral ventral and cortical AMY nuclei. We conclude that the motivational effects of novelty are diminished in H1R‐KO mice, possibly due to reduced novelty‐induced arousal and/or a dysfunctional brain reward system.
How to get more out of molecular fingerprints: practical tools for microbial ecology
Authors: Marzorati Massimo , Wittebolle Lieven , Boon Nico , Daffonchio Daniele , Verstraete Willy
Published: March 2008

Community‐level molecular techniques are widely used in comparative microbial ecology to assess the diversity of microbial communities and their response to changing environments. These include among others denaturing and temperature gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE/TGGE), single‐strand conformation polymorphism (SSCP), length heterogeneity‐PCR (LH‐PCR), terminal‐restriction fragment length polymorphism (tRFLP) and 16S rRNA gene clone libraries. The amount of data derived from these techniques available in literature is continuously increasing and the lack of a universal way to interpret the raw fingerprint itself makes it difficult to compare between different results. Taking the DGGE technique as an example, we propose a setting‐independent theoretical interpretation of the DGGE pattern, based on a straightforward processing on three levels of analysis: (i) the range‐weighted richness (Rr) reflecting the carrying capacity of the system, (ii) the dynamics (Dy) reflecting the specific rate of species coming to significance, and (iii) functional organization (Fo), defined through a relation between the structure of a microbial community and its functionality. These Rr, Dy and Fo values, each representing a score to describe a microbial community, can be plotted in a 3D graph. The latter represents a visual ecological interpretation of the initial raw fingerprinting pattern.
The first record on the spider genus Trogloneta Simon in the southern hemisphere (Araneae, Mysmenidae), with descriptions of three new species from Brazil and remarks on the morphology
Authors: Brescovit Antonio D. , Lopardo Lara
Published: March 2008

We provide a taxonomic description of three new species of the spider genus Trogloneta from Brazil, providing the first record of this genus in the southern hemisphere. We also present the first detailed morphological study on the genus, describing for the first time its spinneret spigot morphology and its tracheal system, which are crucial for reconstructing the cladistic relationships of araneoid families. Some aspects of the male and female genitalia are also discussed. New diagnostic features are proposed for the genus. The respiratory system of Trogloneta resembles that of the mysmenid genera Maymena and Isela, with reduced booklungs and only one posterior spiracle leading to tracheae. The spinneret spigot arrangement in Trogloneta conforms to the typical araneoid spigot composition, with one major ampullate spigot separated by a deep furrow from the piriform field, and piriform spigots with reduced bases and interspersed with tartipores in the anterior lateral spinnerets. A third distinct field in the anterior lateral spinnerets comprising modified setae of unknown function is present in Trogloneta. This field seems to be unique for the genus. The typical shape of the male palpal cymbium, as well as the shape of the cymbial conductor could be synapomorphic for Trogloneta. Also, females of Trogloneta present accessory glands as part of their genitalic conformation, which have never been reported for mysmenids, and therefore might be also synapomorphic for the genus. This is the first mysmenid genus proposed to be haplogyne, further suggesting additional synapomorphies for the genus.
Union Mobilization: A Consideration of the Factors Affecting the Willingness of Union Members to Take Industrial Action
Authors: Buttigieg Donna M. , Deery Stephen J. , Iverson Roderick D.
Published: March 2008

Drawing on mobilization theory, this article seeks to identify the factors that shape the willingness of union members to take industrial action. The study utilized data from a large‐scale survey (N = 1,111) carried out in a financial services union during the renegotiation of a collective bargaining contract. The results suggested that individuals were more willing to engage in industrial action when they experienced a sense of injustice or unfairness in the employment relationship and when they held a collectivist orientation to work. Moreover, their propensity to take industrial action was greater when they considered that their union was an effective instrument of power. Workplace representatives were also important, particularly when they were seen as being responsive to their members' needs in situations of perceived injustice. The implications for mobilization theory and for union strategy are discussed.
Paradigms in Industrial Relations: Original, Modern and Versions In‐between
Authors: Kaufman Bruce E.
Published: March 2008

This article argues that the industrial relations (IR) field has had two distinct paradigms — an original paradigm centred on the employment relationship, and a modern paradigm centred on unions and labour–management relations. In practice, IR scholars in the decades after the Second World War frequently adopted the former as a broad principle but followed the latter in research and teaching. The narrower labour–management paradigm has created a significant survival challenge for the IR field, given the marked long‐term decline in union density in most countries. I join with others in arguing that to survive and prosper in the years ahead, the field needs to return to an updated version of the original ‘employment relationship’ paradigm. To promote this end, I describe the major features of the original paradigm, including its core positive and normative principle. I also outline how this core principle provides the foundation for an integrative IR theory of the employment relationship, which the field greatly needs to move ahead.
Teachers are digikids too: the digital histories and digital lives of young teachers in English primary schools
Authors: Graham Lynda
Published: March 2008

In this article I consider the digital lives of a number of young teachers. Some are confident, competent movers in digital worlds, some are not. I wonder why, and look back at the teachers' digital histories to see whether ways in which they learned about digital worlds affects their lives now. I identify three different routes to learning about digital worlds, and describe these with representative stories. Two are serious solitary journeys, one self‐taught the other school‐taught. Most teachers in these groups use digital technologies for work and for the business of life. The third route is playful social. Teachers in this group have experienced learning about digital worlds with fellow enthusiasts and in playful contexts. These teachers use digital technologies for pleasure as well as the business of life and work. I argue that it is important that young teachers and student teachers be given time on courses to think about and discuss their own digital literacy histories.
AFTER CHALCEDON: THE ONENESS OF CHRIST AND THE DYOTHELITE MEDIATION OF HIS THEANDRIC UNITY
Authors: RICHES AARON
Published: March 2008

This article explores the differentiated unity of divinity and humanity in Christ through the dyothelitism of Maximus the Confessor and Constantinople III (680–681). The essay argues that the dyothelite doctrine makes concrete the communicatio idiomatum of difference in the unity of the Son's theandric prayer. Further, it suggests dyothelitism is the condition of the possibility of ecclesial participation in the unity of the Son's personhood, and therefore the means by which Christ continues his presence and work of salvation in the Church, which is his body.
TRANSCENDENCE AND EPISTEMOLOGY: EXPLORING TRUTH VIA POST‐SECULAR CHRISTIAN PLATONISM
Authors: TYSON PAUL G.
Published: March 2008

Where epistemology and transcendence are considered compatible, three approaches to truth are pursued. A Platonist approach sees true human knowledge as embedded in, and dependent on, transcendence; a neoplatonist Aristotelian approach remains Platonic in the above sense, and then sees ‘natural’ human knowledge as providing valid grounds for limited speculative knowledge about divine truths; proto‐modern Aristotelianism, however, approaches transcendence from an inherently naturalistic stance. This article endeavours to trace the collapse of metaphysical confidence inherent in the trajectory of modern epistemological foundationalism, through proto‐modern Aristotelianism, and suggests that post‐secular Christian Platonism can return a valid metaphysical confidence to us.
The Perils of the Back Seat: Date Rape, Race and Gender in 1950s America
Authors: Dorr Lisa Lindquist
Published: March 2008

Dating among white American teenagers in the 1950s caused parents considerable concern, as it represented disturbing developments in sexual expectations. While the rhetoric surrounding marriage celebrated traditional gender roles and monogamy, Americans bemoaned social and moral decay, caused in part by women's encroachment on male prerogatives. Sexual experience for boys increasingly became a defining gender characteristic and a means of achieving manhood as well. Ideas about proper marital norms and studies of dating practices among young people naturalised male aggression as proof of masculinity, which made girls, even ‘respectable ones’, vulnerable to violence from their dates. As teens' acceptance of going steady became more widespread, older racialised narratives of sexual danger evolved to incorporate new dating trends. Whereas American, and especially southern white, women knew the dangers of the supposed ‘black beast rapist’, they learnt during the 1950s that a special danger could confront them in the back seat of cars, despite the presence of their white, male date. Even with a white protector, white women remained vulnerable to violence on dates, whether from black men or from their white date. As dating conventions loosened, white women found that that the perils of the back seat only increased.
Rethinking Twentieth‐Century Guadalajara
Authors: Fernández‐Aceves María Teresa
Published: March 2008

This paper discusses the impact of the conference ‘Las Olvidadas: Gender and Women's History in Post‐Revolutionary Mexico’ that took place at Yale University in May 2001, into my own work on women's political mobilisations. It points out from where I departed and how it changed my perspective from women's history to gender history by focusing on women workers in the tortilla industry, a union cacicazgo (political bossism), civic culture, narratives, cultural memory and female political trajectories after the granting of women's suffrage in 1953 in Jalisco.
Hatching Feminisms: Czech Feminist Aspirations in the 1990s
Authors: Argent Angela
Published: March 2008

This article explores a range of conversations in Czech that have been undertaken by popular and intellectual Czech feminists since 1989. These have attempted to ‘explain the usefulness of feminist thinking’ to frequently reticent Czech audiences. It examines feminists' claim that feminism and feminist social criticism have an important role to play in making a new social order in which what they describe as women's values and cultures would have a central place. It explores the often maternalist strategies that intellectuals have devised for working through the pall of ambivalence that surrounds feminism in the Czech Republic, and it examines how an enthusiastic defence of local feminisms and the desire to highlight intransigent attitudes towards the remaking of gender identities have become important hallmarks of contemporary Czech feminisms.
Gender and Welfare Reform in Post‐ Revolutionary Mexico
Authors: Sanders Nichole
Published: March 2008

This article discusses the impact a gender and woman's history conference had on the development of my own research and writing. ‘Las Olvidadas’ was a conference held at Yale in the Spring of 2001, and was the first in a series of Mexican women's and gender history conferences organised. My own research, on the gendered nature of the welfare state in Mexico, explores how class and race intersected with gender to produce a welfare system that, while particular to Mexico, also nevertheless had much in common with other Latin American countries. These conferences shaped both my views of gender, but also the importance of the transnational to historical research.
Temperament and character profile of patients with psoriasis
Authors: Kılıç A , Güleç MY , Gül Ü , Güleç H
Published: March 2008

Background  Psychosocial factors have been implicated as being important in the onset and/or exacerbation of psoriasis.1 The aim of this study is to examine both the personality factors of patients with psoriasis and the correlations between temperament and character dimensions.

Material and methods  A total number of 105 psoriasis patients and 109 healthy individuals were enrolled in the study. Questionnaires including Beck Depression Inventory (BDI), Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI), and Temperament and Character Inventory (TCI) were administered individually. Both groups were evaluated in terms of depression, anxiety and characteristic features by using these psychological tests and compared statistically. The relationship between psoriasis area and severity index (PASI) score and the BDI, BAI and TCI scales were also evaluated.

Results  The mean BDI score of the psoriasis group were significantly higher than the control group. The psoriasis group had significantly higher scores of harm avoidance and lower scores of being self‐directedness than the control group. The duration of psoriasis and the PASI scores were not correlated with BDI and BAI scores.

Conclusion  The current study shows that psoriasis patients have distinctive temperament and character dimensions when compared with the control group. We suggest that evaluation and treatment of psoriasis should also include psychosomatic approaches in clinical practice.
Promoting child and adolescent mental health in low and middle income countries
Authors: Patel Vikram , Flisher Alan J. , Nikapota Anula , Malhotra Savita
Published: March 2008

Children and adolescents in low and middle income countries (LAMIC) constitute 35–50% of the population. Although the population in many such countries is predominantly rural, rapid urbanisation and social change is under way, with an increase in urban poverty and unemployment, which are risk factors for poor child and adolescent mental health (CAMH). There is a vast gap between CAMH needs (as measured through burden of disease estimates) and the availability of CAMH resources. The role of CAMH promotion and prevention can thus not be overestimated. However, the evidence base for affordable and effective interventions for promotion and prevention in LAMIC is limited. In this review, we briefly review the public health importance of CAM disorders in LAMIC and the specific issues related to risk and protective factors for these disorders. We describe a number of potential strategies for CAMH promotion which focus on building capacity in children and adolescents, in parents and families, in the school and health systems, and in the wider community, including structural interventions. Building capacity in CAMH must also focus on the detection and treatment of disorders for which the evidence base is somewhat stronger, and on wider public health strategies for prevention and promotion. In particular, capacity needs to be built across the health system, with particular foci on low‐cost, universally available and accessible resources, and on empowerment of families and children. We also consider the role of formal teaching and training programmes, and the role for specialists in CAMH promotion.
Psychiatric diagnosis – is it universal or relative to culture?
Authors: Canino Glorisa , Alegría Margarita
Published: March 2008

Background: There is little consensus on the extent to which psychiatric disorders or syndromes are universal or the extent to which they differ on their core definitions and constellation of symptoms as a result of cultural or contextual factors. This controversy continues due to the lack of biological markers, imprecise measurement and the lack of a gold standard for validating most psychiatric conditions.

Method: Empirical studies were used to present evidence in favor of or against a universalist or relativistic view of child psychiatric disorders using a model developed by Robins and Guze to determine the validity of psychiatric disorders.

Results: The prevalence of some of the most common specific disorders and syndromes as well as its risk and protective factors vary across cultures, yet comorbid patterns and response to treatments vary little across cultures. Cross‐cultural longitudinal data on outcomes is equivocal.

Conclusions: The cross‐cultural validity of child disorders may vary drastically depending on the disorder, but empirical evidence that attests for the cross‐cultural validity of diagnostic criteria for each child disorder is lacking. There is a need for studies that investigate the extent to which gene–environment interactions are related to specific disorders across cultures. Clinicians are urged to consider culture and context in determining the way in which children's psychopathology may be manifested independent of their views. Recommendations for the upcoming classificatory system are provided so that practical or theoretical considerations are addressed about how culture and ethnic issues affect the assessment or treatment of specific disorders in children.
Child and adolescent mental disorders: the magnitude of the problem across the globe
Authors: Belfer Myron L.
Published: March 2008

Objective:  Describe objectively the global gaps in policy, data gathering capacity, and resources to develop and implement services to support child mental health.

Methods:  Report on the World health Organization (WHO) child and adolescent mental health resources Atlas project. The Atlas project utilized key informants and was supplemented by studies that focused on policy. This report also draws on current epidemiological studies to provide a context for understanding the magnitude of the clinical problem.

Results:  Current global epidemiological data consistently reports that up to 20% of children and adolescents suffer from a disabling mental illness; that suicide is the third leading cause of death among adolescents; and that up to 50% of all adult mental disorders have their onset in adolescence. While epidemiological data appears relatively uniform globally, the same is not true for policy and resources for care. The gaps in resources for child mental health can be categorized as follows: economic, manpower, training, services and policy. Key findings from the Atlas project include: lack of program development in low income countries; lack of any policy in low income countries and absent specific comprehensive policy in both low and high income countries; lack of data gathering capacity including that for country‐level epidemiology and services outcomes; failure to provide social services in low income countries; lack of a continuum of care; and universal barriers to access. Further, the Atlas findings underscored the need for a critical analysis of the ‘burden of disease’ as it relates to the context of child and adolescent mental disorders, and the importance of defining the degree of ‘impairment’ of specific disorders in different cultures.

Conclusions:  The recent finding of substantial gaps in resources for child mental health underscores the need for enhanced data gathering, refinement of the economic argument for care, and need for innovative training approaches.
The contribution of late termination of pregnancy to stillbirth rates in Northern England, 1994–2005
Authors: Bythell M , Bell R , Taylor R , Zalewski S , Wright C , Rankin J , Ward Platt MP
Published: March 2008

The impact of late terminations (≥24 weeks) on the overall stillbirth rate was determined for the 12‐year period from 1994 to 2005 using data collected by the Regional Maternity Survey Office in the north of England. It is a legal requirement to register late terminations, and this may lead to an overestimation of the true stillbirth rate. In our region, terminations resulting in stillbirth increased the registered stillbirth rate by nearly 10%. The impact remained stable for the period 1998–2005. This suggests that the failure of the national (and regional) stillbirth rate to decline in recent years is not due to an increase in late terminations.
Predictiveness of antenatal umbilical artery Doppler for adverse pregnancy outcome in small‐for‐gestational‐age babies according to customised birthweight centiles: population‐based study
Authors: Figueras F , Eixarch E , Gratacos E , Gardosi J
Published: March 2008

Objective  To examine the relationship between smallness at birth and the predictive value of umbilical artery Doppler.

Design  Retrospective cohort.

Setting  Tertiary referral university hospital, Barcelona.

Population  A total of 7645 singleton pregnancies delivered between January 2002 and June 2004.

Methods  The associations with adverse outcome were assessed for small‐for‐gestational‐age (SGA) babies according to customised standards who had normal and abnormal umbilical artery Doppler.

Main outcome measures  Neonatal morbidity and perinatal mortality.

Results  Of the 369 SGA fetuses that had been identified antenatally, 70 (19%) had an abnormal umbilical artery Doppler and the babies from these pregnancies had a higher risk for neonatal morbidity when compared with babies with normal birthweight (OR 3.99, 95% CI 1.04–11.03). However, the remaining 299 (81%) fetuses with normal umbilical artery Doppler also had an elevated risk of neonatal morbidity (OR 2.26, 95% CI 1.04–4.39). Overall, many of the instances of adverse outcome associated with smallness for gestational age were attributable to the group with normal Doppler than to the group with abnormal Doppler.

Conclusion  Normal antenatal umbilical artery Doppler cannot be taken as an indicator of low risk in pregnancies where the fetus is SGA according to customised percentiles.
Induction of premature senescence in cardiomyocytes by doxorubicin as a novel mechanism of myocardial damage
Authors: Maejima Yasuhiro , Adachi Susumu , Ito Hiroshi , Hirao Kenzo , Isobe Mitsuaki
Published: March 2008

Cellular senescence is an important phenomenon in decreased cellular function. Recently, it was shown that cellular senescence is induced in proliferating cells within a short period of time by oxidative stresses. This phenomenon is known as premature senescence. However, it is still unknown whether premature senescence can be also induced in cardiomyocytes. The aim of the present study was to investigate whether a senescence‐like phenotype can be induced in cardiomyocytes by oxidative stress. In cardiomyocytes obtained from aged rats (24 months of age), the staining for senescence‐associated β‐galactosidase increased significantly and the protein or RNA levels of cyclin‐dependent kinase inhibitors increased compared to those of young rats. Decreased cardiac troponin I phosphorylation and telomerase activity were also observed in aged cardiomyocytes. Treatment of cultured neonatal rat cardiomyocytes with a low concentration of doxorubicin (DOX) (10−7 mol L−1) did not induce apoptosis but did induce oxidative stress, which was confirmed by 2′,7′‐dichlorofluorescin diacetate staining. In DOX‐treated neonatal cardiomyocytes, increased positive staining for senescence‐associated β‐galactosidase, cdk‐I expression, decreased cardiac troponin I phosphorylation, and decreased telomerase activity were observed, as aged cardiomyocytes. Alterations in mRNA expression typically seen in aged cells were observed in DOX‐treated neonatal cardiomyocytes. We also found that promyelocytic leukemia protein and acetylated p53, key proteins involved in stress‐induced premature senescence in proliferating cells, were associated with cellular alterations of senescence in DOX‐treated cardiomyocytes. In conclusion, cardiomyocytes treated with DOX showed characteristic changes similar to cardiomyocytes of aged rats. promyelocytic leukemia‐related p53 acetylation may be an underlying mechanism of senescence‐like alterations in cardiomyocytes. These findings indicate a novel mechanism of myocardial dysfunction induced by oxidative stress.
Stem Cell Review Series: Role of neurogenesis in age‐related memory disorders
Authors: Drapeau Elodie , Nora Abrous Djoher
Published: March 2008

Neuroplasticity is characterized by growth and branching of dendrites, remodeling of synaptic contacts, and neurogenesis, thus allowing the brain to adapt to changes over time. It is maintained in adulthood but strongly repressed during aging. An age‐related decline in neurogenesis is particularly pronounced in the two adult neurogenic areas, the subventricular zone and the dentate gyrus. This age‐related decline seems to be attributable mainly to limited proliferation, associated with an age‐dependent increase in quiescence and/or a lengthening of the cell cycle, and is closely dependent on environmental changes. Indeed, when triggered by appropriate signals, neurogenesis can be reactivated in senescent brains, thus confirming the idea that the age‐related decrease in new neuron production is not an irreversible, cell‐intrinsic process. The coevolution of neurogenesis and age‐related memory deficits – especially regarding spatial memory – during senescence supports the idea that new neurons in the adult brain participate in memory processing, and that a reduction in the ability to generate new neurons contributes to the appearance of memory deficits with advanced age. Furthermore, the age‐related changes in hippocampal plasticity and function are under environmental influences that can favor successful or pathological aging. A better understanding of the mechanisms that regulate neurogenesis is necessary to develop new therapeutic tools to cure or prevent the development of memory disorders that may appear during the course of aging in some individuals.
Fabrication of Cu Nanowires at Predetermined Positions by Utilising Stress Migration
Authors: Settsu N. , Saka M. , Yamaya F.
Published: March 2008

Abstract:  Stress migration (SM) is a phenomenon whereby atoms diffuse from a region of lower stress towards a region of higher stress because of the hydrostatic stress gradient. In this study, the fabrication of Cu nanowires at predetermined positions by controlling the direction of the atomic flux caused by SM is analysed. Cu nanowires are fabricated by rearranging accumulated atoms into wire‐like crystals. First, the sites at which Cu atoms accumulate are found from finite element (FE) analysis and from the results obtained from experiments. Next, a technique is proposed for accumulating atoms by SM at predetermined sites. Finally, the successful fabrication of Cu nanowires at these sites is demonstrated.
Process Cheese: Scientific and Technological Aspects—A Review
Authors: Kapoor Rohit , Metzger Lloyd E.
Published: March 2008

ABSTRACT:  Process cheese is produced by blending natural cheese in the presence of emulsifying salts and other dairy and nondairy ingredients followed by heating and continuous mixing to form a homogeneous product with an extended shelf life. Extensive research on the important physicochemical and functional properties associated with process cheese and the various physicochemical, technological, and microbiological factors that influence these properties has resulted in process cheese being one of the most versatile dairy products with numerous end‐use applications. The present review is an attempt to cover the scientific and technological aspects of process cheese and highlight and critique some of the important research findings associated with them. The 1st objective of this article is to extensively describe the physicochemical properties and microstructure, as well as the functional properties, of process cheese and highlight the various analytical techniques used to evaluate these properties. The 2nd objective is to describe the formulation parameters, ingredients, and various processing conditions that influence the functional properties of process cheese. This review is primarily targeted at process cheese manufacturers as well as students in the field of dairy and food science who may want to learn more about the scientific and technological aspects of process cheese. The review is limited to the relevant research associated with process cheeses as defined by the U.S. Code of Federal Regulations and does not cover imitation and substitute cheeses.
Effect of fluconazole prophylaxis on the incidence of invasive candida infections and bacteraemias in patients with acute leukaemia
Authors: Nihtinen Anne , Anttila Veli‐Jukka , Elonen Erkki , Juvonen Eeva , Volin Liisa , Ruutu Tapani
Published: March 2008

Objectives:  The efficacy of fluconazole prophylaxis to prevent invasive candida infections in patients with acute leukaemia receiving chemotherapy is not clear. Fluconazole prophylaxis might increase the number of bacteraemias and cause outbreaks of non‐albicans yeast infections. A retrospective single‐centre study was conducted to investigate the effect of fluconazole prophylaxis on the incidence and the species of invasive candida infections and on the number of bacteraemias.

Methods:  All 1089 adult acute leukaemia patients treated with chemotherapy in 1978–2004 at Helsinki University Central Hospital were included. Data of positive blood cultures, histological samples, and fungal cultures was collected from the patient charts and the microbiology laboratory database. Fluconazole prophylaxis was used in all patients from 2000 on.

Results:  Invasive candida infection was diagnosed in 74 out of 847 patients (8.7%) treated without fluconazole prophylaxis and in four out of 242 patients (1.6%) receiving the prophylaxis (P < 0.001). The incidence of non‐albicans infections did not increase in the fluconazole prophylaxis group. A larger proportion of patients developed bacteraemias in the prophylaxis group (65%) compared to the non‐prophylaxis group (52%) (P < 0.001). A trend towards more gram‐positive bacteraemias was seen in the prophylaxis group. Invasive candida infections were more common in patients with acute lymphoblastic leukaemia than those with acute myeloid leukaemia, 10.5% vs. 5.9% (P = 0.008).

Conclusions:  Fluconazole prophylaxis was effective in preventing invasive candida infections in patients with acute leukaemia without increasing non‐albicans infections. The risk of bacteraemias, however, increased
Non‐pathogenic commensal Escherichia coli bacteria can inhibit degranulation of mast cells
Authors: Magerl Markus , Lammel Verena , Siebenhaar Frank , Zuberbier Torsten , Metz Martin , Maurer Marcus
Published: March 2008

Background:  The mast cell’s (MC) ability to rapidly release presynthesized mediators allows it to play a critical role in the immune system’s first‐line response to pathogens. Although recent research has illuminated the role of MCs in bacterial infection, little is known about how non‐pathogenic bacteria influence MC responses.

Objective:  To characterize the influence of non‐pathogenic Escherichia coli bacteria on MCs.

Results:  High concentrations of live E. coli strongly down‐modulated the degranulation of murine peritoneal MCs under all activator conditions. Bacteria did not induce MC degranulation by themselves, and staining of MCs showed they were still entirely viable. Dead bacteria and bacterial supernatant had no effect on MC degranulation. Ex vivo experiments confirmed that E. coli exposure down‐modulates subsequently induced MC degranulation and that this effect lasts for up to a few days after exposure.

Conclusion:  Our results show that high doses of non‐pathogenic E. coli bacteria can function as a strong, direct inhibitor of MC degranulation. This suggests a possible basis for future antiallergic treatment or prophylaxis with commensal bacteria, i.e. probiotics.
The Ypt/Rab Family and the Evolution of Trafficking in Fungi
Authors: Pereira‐Leal José B.
Published: March 2008

The evolution of the eukaryotic endomembrane system and the transport pathways of their vesicular intermediates are poorly understood. A common set of organelles and pathways seems to be present in all free‐living eukaryotes, but different branches of the tree of life have a variety of diverse, specialized organelles. Rab/Ypt proteins are small guanosine triphosphatases with tissue‐specific and organelle‐specific localization that emerged as markers for organelle diversity. Here, I characterize the Rab/Ypt family in the kingdom Fungi, a sister kingdom of Animals. I identify and annotate these proteins in 26 genomes representing near one billion years of evolution, multiple lifestyles and cellular types. Surprisingly, the minimal set of Rab/Ypt present in fungi is similar to, perhaps smaller than, the predicted eukaryotic ancestral set. This suggests that the saprophytic fungal lifestyle, multicellularity as well as the highly polarized secretion associated with hyphal growth did not require any major innovation in the molecular machinery that regulates protein trafficking. The Rab/Ypt and other protein traffic‐related families are kept small, not paralleling increases in genome size, in contrast to the expansion of such components observed in other branches of the tree of life, such as the animal and plant kingdoms. This analysis suggests that multicellularity and cellular diversity in fungi followed different routes from those followed by plants and metazoa.
Correct Targeting of Plant ARF GTPases Relies on Distinct Protein Domains
Authors: Matheson Loren A. , Suri Sarabjeet S. , Hanton Sally L. , Chatre Laurent , Brandizzi Federica
Published: March 2008

Indispensable membrane trafficking events depend on the activity of conserved small guanosine triphosphatases (GTPases), anchored to individual organelle membranes. In plant cells, it is currently unknown how these proteins reach their correct target membranes and interact with their effectors. To address these important biological questions, we studied two members of the ADP ribosylation factor (ARF) GTPase family, ARF1 and ARFB, which are membrane anchored through the same N‐terminal myristoyl group but to different target membranes. Specifically, we investigated how ARF1 is targeted to the Golgi and post‐Golgi structures, whereas ARFB accumulates at the plasma membrane. While the subcellular localization of ARFB appears to depend on multiple domains including the C‐terminal half of the GTPase, the correct targeting of ARF1 is dependent on two domains: an N‐terminal ARF1 domain that is necessary for the targeting of the GTPase to membranes and a core domain carrying a conserved MxxE motif that influences the relative distribution of ARF1 between the Golgi and post‐Golgi compartments. We also established that the N‐terminal ARF1 domain alone was insufficient to maintain an interaction with membranes and that correct targeting is a protein‐specific property that depends on the status of the GTP switch. Finally, an ARF1–ARFB chimera containing only the first 18 amino acids from ARF1 was shown to compete with ARF1 membrane binding loci. Although this chimera exhibited GTPase activity in vitro, it was unable to recruit coatomer, a known ARF1 effector, onto Golgi membranes. Our results suggest that the targeting of ARF GTPases to the correct membranes may not only depend on interactions with effectors but also relies on distinct protein domains and further binding partners on the Golgi surface.
Trafficking and Cellular Distribution of Voltage‐Gated Sodium Channels
Authors: Cusdin Fiona S. , Clare Jeffrey J. , Jackson Antony P.
Published: March 2008

Electrical excitability in cells such as neurons and myocytes depends not only upon the expression of voltage‐gated sodium channels but also on their correct targeting within the plasma membrane. Placing sodium channels within a broader cell biological context is beginning to shed new light on a variety of important questions such as the integration of neuronal signaling. Mutations that affect sodium channel trafficking have been shown to underlie several life‐threatening conditions including cardiac arrhythmias, revealing an important clinical context to these studies.
Growth effects of botulinum toxin type A injected into masseter muscle on a developing rat mandible
Authors: Kim J‐Y , Kim S‐T , Cho S‐W , Jung H‐S , Park K‐T , Son H‐K
Published: March 2008

Objectives:  Botulinum toxin type A (BTX‐A) reduces the muscular contractions by temporarily inhibiting the release of acetylcholine at the neuromuscular junction. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of the BTX‐A injected into the masseter muscle of a developing rat mandible.

Materials and methods:  Four‐week‐old male (no. 80) Sprague–Dawley rats were divided into four groups: control group, saline group, BTX‐A group and baseline control group. Rats of baseline group were sacrificed at 0 day to provide baseline values of the mandibular measurements. The masseter muscle of rats in the saline and the BTX‐A group were administered with saline and BTX‐A solutions respectively. Experimental animals were sacrificed after 4 weeks.

Results:  The BTX‐A group demonstrated smaller mandibular dimension compared with the other groups (P < 0.05). Their condylar cartilages showed increased apoptosis at the proliferation stage of the reserve zone and masseter muscle fibers demonstrated atrophic changes.

Conclusions:  The result demonstrated BTX‐A influence on inhibitory action of the developing mandible because of apoptosis at the proliferation stage of the reserve zone of the condylar cartilage in developing rat mandible.
Figuring it Out in the Moment: A Theory of Unregulated Care Providers' Knowledge Utilization in Dementia Care Settings
Authors: Janes Nadine , Sidani Souraya , Cott Cheryl , Rappolt Susan
Published: March 2008

Background: Within the context of knowledge translation, the disconnect between the results of research and the practice patterns of nursing care providers has not been reported in the context of institutional dementia care practice. Therefore, little is known about how knowledge about best dementia care practice, defined broadly as the person‐centered approach, gets used by institutional nursing care providers.

Aim: Unregulated care providers provide the majority of nursing care for older people with Alzheimer's disease and related disorders living in long‐term care facilities. The purpose of this grounded theory study was to explore the process whereby these workers use knowledge about person‐centered care in their dementia care practice.

Methods: Transcribed data from tape‐recorded interviews with 20 unregulated care providers among eight long‐term care facilities in Ontario, Canada, were coded and categorized at progressively more abstract levels until concepts and the relationships among them were integrated in a middle‐range theory of knowledge utilization.

Results: The theory of Figuring it Out in the Moment illustrates how unregulated care providers in dementia care settings practice in the context of unpredictability, variability, and personal threat. Their use of knowledge about person‐centered care is dependent on the existence of certain individual and relational conditions that interrelate with four separate, but interconnected, phases of clinical decision‐making and action.

Conclusions: As a middle‐range theory, Figuring it Out in the Moment is concrete and pragmatic information for promoting evidence‐based dementia care not included in existing overarching knowledge utilization frameworks. Areas for further investigation include how knowledge utilization is conceptualized, as well as the influences of practitioners' clinical decision‐making, the nature of caregiving with particular client populations, and the characteristics of individuals alone and in relationship on the utilization of best practice knowledge.
Light regulation of CaS, a novel phosphoprotein in the thylakoid membrane of Arabidopsis thaliana
Authors: Vainonen Julia P. , Sakuragi Yumiko , Stael Simon , Tikkanen Mikko , Allahverdiyeva Yagut , Paakkarinen Virpi , Aro Eveliina , Suorsa Marjaana , Scheller Henrik V. , Vener Alexander V. , Aro Eva‐Mari
Published: March 2008

Exposure of Arabidopsis thaliana plants to high levels of light revealed specific phosphorylation of a 40 kDa protein in photosynthetic thylakoid membranes. The protein was identified by MS as extracellular calcium‐sensing receptor (CaS), previously reported to be located in the plasma membrane. By confocal laser scanning microscopy and subcellular fractionation, it was demonstrated that CaS localizes to the chloroplasts and is enriched in stroma thylakoids. The phosphorylation level of CaS responded strongly to light intensity. The light‐dependent thylakoid protein kinase STN8 is required for CaS phosphorylation. The phosphorylation site was mapped to the stroma‐exposed Thr380, located in a motif for interaction with 14‐3‐3 proteins and proteins with forkhead‐associated domains, which suggests the involvement of CaS in stress responses and signaling pathways. The knockout Arabidopsis lines revealed a significant role for CaS in plant growth and development.
PJ34, a Poly Adenosine Diphosphate‐Ribose Polymerase Inhibitor, Attenuates Chromate‐Induced Nephrotoxicity
Authors: Yam‐Canul Paola , Chirino Yolanda Irasema , Sánchez‐González Dolores Javier , Martínez‐Martínez Claudia María , Cruz Cristino , Pedraza‐Chaverri José
Published: March 2008

Abstract:  Potassium dichromate (K2Cr2O7)‐induced nephrotoxicity is associated with oxidative stress. In addition, the activation of the polyadenosine diphosphate‐ribose [poly(ADP‐ribose)] polymerase‐1 (PARP‐1) plays a role in the pathophysiology of some diseases associated with oxidative stress. To clarify the potential role of PARP‐1 in this experimental model, N‐(6‐oxo‐5,6‐dihydro‐phenanthridin‐2‐yl)‐N,N‐dimethyacetamide HCl (PJ34), a highly specific inhibitor of this enzyme, was used. Nephrotoxicity was induced in rats by a single sc injection of K2Cr2O7; studies were performed 2 days later. PJ34 was given intraperitoneally (15 mg/kg) 1 hr before and 1, 5, 24, 26, 31 and 46 hr after K2Cr2O7 injection. Nephrotoxicity was evaluated by histological analysis and by measuring blood urea nitrogen, serum creatinine, serum glutathione peroxidase activity and urinary excretion of N‐acetyl‐β‐d‐glucosaminidase. PARP‐1 activation was evaluated by the immunostaining of poly(ADP‐ribose). In addition, the following markers of oxidative stress were evaluated: 3‐nitrotyrosine, 4‐hydroxy‐2‐nonenal, malondialdehyde and protein carbonyl content. K2Cr2O7 increased poly(ADP‐ribose) content suggesting the PARP‐1 activation in this model. PJ34 significantly ameliorated the K2Cr2O7‐induced: (i) nephrotoxicity, (ii) poly(ADP‐ribose) accumulation and (iii) oxidative stress. It is concluded that PARP‐1 is activated and involved, at least in part, in K2Cr2O7‐induced nephrotoxicity in rats.
Evaluation of Cytotoxic, Genotoxic and CYP450 Enzymatic Competition Effects of Tanzanian Plant Extracts Traditionally Used for Treatment of Fungal Infections
Authors: Van Den Bout‐van den Beukel Carolien J. P. , Hamza Omar J. M. , Moshi Mainen J. , Matee Mecky I. N. , Mikx Frans , Burger David M. , Koopmans Peter P. , Verweij Paul E. , Schoonen Willem G. E. J. , Van Der Ven André J. A. M.
Published: March 2008

Abstract: HIV‐infected patients in sub‐Saharan countries highly depend on traditional medicines for the treatment of opportunistic oral infections as candidiasis. Previous investigations on antifungal activity of medicinal plant extracts utilized by traditional healers in Tanzania have revealed 12 extracts with potent antifungal activity. Although the plants may be good candidates for new treatment opportunities, they can be toxic or genotoxic and could cause pharmacokinetic interactions when used concomitantly with antiretroviral agents. Therefore, we investigated the cytotoxicity, genotoxicity and cytochrome P450 interaction potential of these medicinal plants. Cytotoxicity was tested by Hoechst 33342, Alamar Blue, calcein‐AM, glutathione depletion and O2‐consumption assays and genotoxicity by a Vitotox assay. Competition of the 12 extracts on substrate metabolism by CYP3A4, 2C9, 2C19 and 2D6 was tested with high‐throughput CYP inhibition screening. Pregnane X receptor (PXR) activation was tested using Chinese hamster ovary cell lines expressing human PXR. Herbal extracts inducing high human PXR activation were tested for enhanced CYP3A4 mRNA levels with quantitative polymerase chain reaction. Genotoxicity was found forJatropha multifida,Sterculia africanaandSpirostachys africana. All plant extracts showed high cytotoxic effects in almost all tests. Potent competition with CYP3A4, 2D6, 2C9 and 2C19 was found for 75% of the herbal extracts.Spirostachys africanadid not affect CYP2D6 and forS. africanaandTurraea holstiino effect on CYP2D6 and CYP3A4 (DBF) was found. Nine plant extracts showed significant activation of human PXR, but onlyAgaura salicifolia,Turraea holstiiandS. africanasignificantly induced CYP3A4 mRNA levels. These results indicate the possibility of potential medicinal plant‐antiretroviral interactions.