bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The role of children’s negative attributions on depressive symptoms: an inherited characteristic or a product of the early environment?
Authors: Lau Jennifer Y.F. , Belli Stefano D. , Gregory Alice M. , Napolitano Maria , Eley Thalia C.
Published: June 2012

Negative attributional style has been associated with depressive symptoms in children. Yet, it is unclear whether these cognitive biases reflect inherited characteristics of the broader depressive phenotype or are a product of children’s environments. While existing data in adolescents show that negative attributions reflect a genetic predisposition, elevating depressive responses to stress, other data suggest that negative attributions in children are more likely to reflect early environmental experiences on symptoms. Here, we assess the degree to which negative attributional style and depressive symptoms arise from common genetic, shared and non‐shared environmental influences in childhood. Monozygotic and dizygotic twins reported on attributional style and depressive symptoms at age 8 (n = 300 pairs) and at age 10 (n = 250 pairs). Two multivariate models with varying assumptions on the nature of the relationship between negative attributions and depressive symptoms within and across time were fit to the data. The Common Pathway model provided better fit than the Cholesky decomposition. A common, latent factor influenced both attributional style and depressive symptoms at both time‐points in children. The only significant influences on this factor were shared and non‐shared aspects of the environment. Placing the present findings with those of adolescents suggests possible developmental differences in the relationship between attributional style and depressive symptoms.
Effect of calcium intake on fat oxidation in adults: a meta‐analysis of randomized, controlled trials
Authors: Gonzalez J. T. , Rumbold P. L. S. , Stevenson E. J.
Published: June 2012

Calcium intake is likely to increase body fat loss during energy restriction. Part of this effect may be explained by increased fat oxidation in the presence of a similar energy balance, yet studies have not provided a conclusive answer. Therefore a meta‐analysis was performed to determine whether chronic or acute high calcium intake increases fat oxidation. Randomized controlled trials of high calcium intake in human adults where measures of fat oxidation were taken were included. A random‐effects meta‐analysis was performed on outcomes expressed as standardized mean differences. Chronic high calcium intake increased fat oxidation by a standardized mean difference of 0.42 (95% confidence intervals: 0.14, 0.69; P = 0.003; estimated to correspond to an 11% increase), displaying low heterogeneity (I2 = 18%), which was more prominent when habitual calcium intake was low (<700 mg d−1). Acute high calcium intake increased fat oxidation by a standardized mean difference of 0.41 (0.04, 0.77; P = 0.03), with low heterogeneity (I2 = 19%), yet sensitivity analysis revealed that this effect was relatively weak. In conclusion, chronic high calcium intake is likely to increase rates of fat oxidation. The effects of acute high calcium intake appear to point in the same direction, but further work is needed to permit a greater degree of certainty.
Aspects of second‐order analysis of structured inhomogeneous spatio‐temporal point processes
Authors: Møller Jesper , Ghorbani Mohammad
Published: June 2012

Statistical methodology for spatio‐temporal point processes is in its infancy. We consider second‐order analysis based on pair correlation functions andK‐functions for general inhomogeneous spatio‐temporal point processes and for inhomogeneous spatio‐temporal Cox processes. Assuming spatio‐temporal separability of the intensity function, we clarify different meanings of second‐order spatio‐temporal separability. One is second‐order spatio‐temporal independence and relates to log‐Gaussian Cox processes with an additive covariance structure of the underlying spatio‐temporal Gaussian process. Another concerns shot‐noise Cox processes with a separable spatio‐temporal covariance density. We propose diagnostic procedures for checking hypotheses of second‐order spatio‐temporal separability, which we apply on simulated and real data.
Season but not sex influences burrow length and complexity in the non‐sexually dimorphic solitaryCape mole‐rat (Rodentia:Bathyergidae)
Authors: Thomas H. G. , Bateman P. W. , Scantlebury M. , Bennett N. C.
Published: June 2012

Little is known about how season influences burrowing activity, burrow structure or reproductive behaviour in subterranean mammals. We excavated burrow systems of male and femaleGeorychus capensis, a solitary, subterranean rodent, in winter (wet season) and summer (dry season) to investigate whether, if any, seasonal differences were due to putative mate‐seeking behaviour of males. Burrow structure differed between seasons but not between sexes. For both sexes, summer burrows were shorter and covered a smaller area, but explored the surrounding environment more efficiently than winter burrows.Summer burrows had fewer mounds, which indicated that less expansion of the burrow systems occurred during this season. We discuss these differences in exploration and the use of the environment between seasons in terms of mating strategies ofG. capensisand observed levels of sexual dimorphism in our populations. This study supports recent ideas regarding sexual selection relating to exaggerated traits in females, which affect a female's ability to acquire reproductive resources that often appear similar to that selected for by males.
ERK1/2, p38, and JNK regulate the expression and the activity of the three isoforms of the Na+/Ca2+exchanger, NCX1, NCX2, and NCX3, in neuronal PC12 cells
Authors: Sirabella Rossana , Secondo Agnese , Pannaccione Anna , Molinaro Pasquale , Formisano Luigi , Guida Natascia , Di Renzo Gianfranco , Annunziato Lucio , Cataldi Mauro
Published: June 2012

J. Neurochem. (2012) 122, 911–922.

We evaluated whether changes in expression and activity of the three sodium/calcium exchanger isoforms, NCX1, NCX2, and NCX3 occurred in PC12 cells when the extracellular‐signal‐regulated kinases 1/2 (ERK1/2), c‐Jun N‐terminal kinases (JNK), and p38 mitogen‐activated protein kinases (MAPKs) were silenced, pharmacologically blocked, or activated with nerve growth factor (NGF). Several findings suggesting that MAPKs control NCX emerged: (1) A decrease in NCX1 and NCX3 basal expression occurred when JNK or MEK1, the extracellular‐signal‐regulated kinases 1/2 upstream activator, were pharmacologically blocked, respectively; (2) NGF increased cAMP response element‐binding 1 (CREB1) and Specificity Protein 1 (Sp1) binding to ncx1 promoter and CREB1 binding to two different sequences close to ncx2 transcription start site on genomic DNA; (3) An up‐regulation of NCX1 and NCX3, abrogated upon either MEK1 or p38 blockade, and a down‐regulation of NCX2, abolished upon p38 blockade, occurred upon NGF‐induced MAPK activation. The NCX1 up‐regulation was abolished upon either CREB1 or Sp1 silencing, whereas NCX2 down‐regulation was abrogated only by CREB1 silencing. The NCX3 up‐regulation was unaffected by CREB1 or Sp1 silencing and abolished upon proteasomal inhibition; (4) Whole‐cell Na+/Ca2+ exchange decreased when MEK1 and JNK were blocked and increased when MAPKs were activated by NGF. Collectively, these results demonstrate a MAPK‐dependent regulation of NCX expression and activity which could be relevant in mediating some of the effects of MAPKs in neurons.
Central hypotensive effects of neuropeptide Y are modulated by endothelial nitric oxide synthase after activation by ribosomal protein S6 kinase
Authors: Cheng Pei‐Wen , Wu Alexander TH , Lu Pei‐Jung , Yang Ya‐Chun , Ho Wen‐Yu , Lin Hui‐Ching , Hsiao Michael , Tseng Ching‐Jiunn
Published: June 2012

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE Neuropeptide Y (NPY) is a 36‐amino acid polypeptide found abundantly in the central and peripheral nervous systems. NPY exerts a potent depressor effect via the activation of both Y1 and Y2 receptors in the nucleus tractus solitarii (NTS) of rats. However, the precise mechanisms involved in this NPY‐mediated action remained unclear.

EXPERIMENTAL APPROACH Effects of a selective antagonist of Y1 receptors, a PKC inhibitor, a PI3 kinase inhibitor, a NOS inhibitor, an endothelial NOS (eNOS)‐selective inhibitor, a neuronal NOS (nNOS)‐specific inhibitor or a MAPK inhibitor, on responses to microinjection of NPY into the NTS of Wistar‐Kyoto rats were studied to determine the underlying mechanisms. Blood pressure and heart rate were measured and, in NTS, protein phosphorylation assessed by immunohistochemical techniques.

KEY RESULTS Unilateral microinjection of exogenous NPY (4.65 pmol/60 nL) into the NTS of urethane‐anesthetized Wistar‐Kyoto rats markedly decreased blood pressure and heart rate. Microinjection of the Y1 receptor antagonist BIBP3226 or the Gi/Go‐protein inhibitor, Pertussis toxin, into the NTS attenuated these NPY‐induced hypotensive effects. A selective Y1 receptor agonist increased expression of ERK1/2, ribosomal protein S6 kinase (RSK) and the phosphorylation of eNOS. RSK also bound directly to eNOS and induced its phosphorylation at Ser1177. Pretreatment of the NTS with an eNOS inhibitor, but not a nNOS inhibitor, attenuated the NPY‐induced hypotensive effects.

CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS Together, these results suggested that NPY‐induced depressor effects were mediated by activating NPY Y1 receptor‐PKC‐ERK‐RSK‐eNOS and Ca2+‐eNOS signalling pathways, which are involved in regulation of blood pressure in the NTS.
The Impact of Elections on Cooperation: Evidence from a Lab‐in‐the‐Field Experiment in Uganda
Authors: Grossman Guy , Baldassarri Delia
Published: June 2012

Communities often rely on sanctioning to induce public goods contributions. Past studies focus on how external agencies or peer sanctioning induce cooperation. In this article, we focus instead on the role played by centralized authorities, internal to the community. Combining “lab‐in‐the‐field” experiments with observational data on 1,541 Ugandan farmers from 50 communities, we demonstrate the positive effect of internal centralized sanctioning authorities on cooperative behavior. We also show that the size of this effect depends on the political process by which authority is granted: subjects electing leaders contribute more to public goods than subjects who were assigned leaders through a lottery. To test the ecological validity of our findings, we relate farmers’ behavior in the experiment to their level of cooperation in their community organization. We show that deference to authority in the controlled setting predicts cooperative behavior in the farmers’ natural environment, in which they face a similar social dilemma.
Global market shocks and poverty in Vietnam: the case of rice
Authors: Coxhead Ian , Linh Vu Hoang , Tam Le Dong
Published: June 2012

World food prices have experienced dramatic increases in recent years. These “shocks” affect food importers and exporters alike. Vietnam is a major exporter of rice, and rice is also a key item in domestic production, employment, and consumption. Accordingly, rice price shocks from the world market have general equilibrium impacts and as such, their implications for household welfare are not known ex ante. In this article, we present a framework for understanding the direct and indirect welfare effects of a global market shock of this kind. We quantify transmission of the shock from global indicator prices to domestic markets. Then we use an applied general equilibrium model to simulate the economic effects of the price changes. A recursive mapping to a nationally representative household living standards survey permits us to identify in detail the ceteris paribus effects of the shock on household incomes and welfare. In this analysis, interregional and intersectoral labor market adjustments emerge as key channels transmitting the effects of global price shocks across sectors and among households.
Accuracy of inter‐hospital paediatric appendicitis referrals
Authors: Loke Paxton , Tantoco Joselito , Ferguson Peter , Heloury Yves , Kimber Chris , Oakley Ed , Cheng Wei
Published: June 2012

Objective

Appendicitis is the most common paediatric surgical emergency. In our institution, the majority of inter‐hospital transfers are for suspected appendicitis. We undertook an audit to assess the accuracy of the provisional diagnosis of the transferred cases.

Methods

Retrospective electronic data of a tertiary referral centre and a single referring regional hospital were collected between January 2009 and December 2010. Primary outcome of surgery, inpatient observation or discharge was assessed. The final appendix pathology results were examined.

Results

There were 187 paediatric surgical transfers (49% by ambulance) that were provisionally diagnosed as appendicitis. Of the 187 patients (M : F = 102 : 85, a median age of 11), 70% were admitted, 43% underwent appendicectomy, and only 40% had pathologically proven appendicitis.

Conclusions

Of the surgical referrals for appendicectomy, 60% did not have appendicitis. An improved assessment protocol is required to reduce the margin of diagnostic error and transfer cost, while maintaining clinical safety.
Pediatric neuro‐oncology: Current status and future directions
Authors: HEATH John A , ZACHAROULIS Stergios , KIERAN Mark W
Published: June 2012

Tumors of the central nervous system (CNS) are the most common solid malignancies in childhood and are the leading cause of cancer‐related death in this age group. While an ongoing improvement in overall prognosis has been achieved in the last few decades, current therapeutic approaches still confer significant morbidities, especially for the very young. The traditional strategies of surgery, radiotherapy and conventional cytotoxic chemotherapy need to be further refined while newer approaches, including molecularly targeted agents, hold the promise of better responses, improved outcomes and reduced toxicities. This article discusses treatment standards, the focus of current clinical investigations and the future promise of novel, biologically based approaches for the most common pediatric CNS tumors: primitive neuroectodermal tumors including medulloblastomas, ependymomas and astrocytomas (both low‐grade and high‐grade glioma).
Monitoring mid‐grass prairie in southwestern South Dakota and northwestern Nebraska, USA
Authors: Uresk Daniel W. , Mergen Daryl E.
Published: June 2012

Abstract

It is expensive and difficult to make precise measurements of standing herbage and to monitor changes in rangeland pastures. This study used a modified Robel pole with 1.27‐cm alternating white and gray bands to estimate standing herbage on adjacent Buffalo Gap and Oglala National Grasslands in western South Dakota and northwestern Nebraska. We determined the relationship between visual obstruction readings (Robel pole) with clipped standing herbage and developed resource guidelines for monitoring standing herbage. Clipped standing herbage ranged from 72 to 4953 kg dry matter (DM) ha−1 with a mean of 1784 kg DM ha−1. Visual obstruction bands (band = 1.27 cm) averaged 6.9 bands and ranged from 0.1 to 22.9. Visual obstruction reliably predicted standing herbage (R
2 = 0.80, P = 0.001, SE = 485 kg DM ha−1, n = 182 transects). Cluster analyses grouped visual obstruction readings (bands) and standing herbage into three resource categories; short, intermediate and tall. Band 6 corresponds to residual standing herbage of 1626 kg DM ha−1 and is recommended as a monitoring guideline for minimum residual herbage. Monitoring of residual standing herbage is accurate, precise and easy to apply. The monitoring protocol and guidelines developed based on bands and/or standing herbage provide information for managers to determine compliance with desired plans to maintain diversity for plants, wildlife and livestock use that sustain grassland communities.
AN IMMUNOASSAY FOR DETERMINING AFLATOXIN B1 USING A RECOMBINANT PHAGE AS A NONTOXIC COATING CONJUGATE
Authors: LIU RENRONG , XU LING , QIU XUEMEI , CHEN XINGLONG , DENG SHENGLIANG , LAI WEIHUA , XU YANG
Published: June 2012

Immunoassay for determining aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) involves using the toxic mycotoxin in a conjugated form. To replace the toxic conjugate in an immunoassay, four mimotope peptides of AFB1 were acquired by a panning‐elution selection from a phage library. Because the phage library was displayed on the N‐terminus of the minor coat protein gIIIp of the filamentous phage M13, the copy number of the expressed mimotope was too low to being used in an immunoassay. To solve such problem, one mimotope peptide (HPSDPRH) was fused with the major coat protein gVIIIp by the pC89 phagemid display system, which led to a high copy number expression in a recombinant phage. The recombinant phage bearing the AFB1 mimotope peptide was identified by an anti‐AFB1 monoclonal antibody, and confirmed by DNA sequencing. An immunoassay was set up with the recombinant phage. The new method was compared with a conventional immunoassay. The calibration curves and the results of accuracy and precision were almost identical in both methods, which demonstrated the possibility of using the recombinant phage replacing the AFB1‐protein conjugate to set up immunoassay.

PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS

The recombinant phages with mimotope peptide‐fused gVIIIp can be used in hazards detection concerning food safety in immunoassays, when haptens are unstable, difficult to conjugate, valuable, dangerous or toxic in practice.
THE MIDDLE CAMBRIAN SUCCESSION IN THE CENTRAL BALTIC BASIN: GEOCHEMISTRY OF OILS AND SANDSTONE RESERVOIR CHARACTERISTICS
Authors: Zdanaviciute O. , Lazauskiene J. , Khoubldikov A.I. , Dakhnova M.V. , Zheglova T.P.
Published: June 2012

Some 36 oilfields, all producing from Middle Cambrian (Deimena Group) sandstones, are located in the central Baltic Basin in an area covering onshore Lithuania and Kaliningrad (Russia) and the adjacent offshore. This paper presents new data on the composition of crude oils from fields in this area and reviews the reservoir properties of the Deimena Group sandstones.

Twenty‐one crude oil samples from fields in Lithuania and Kaliningrad were analysed by standard techniques including GC and GC‐MS. The oils had densities of 790.5 to 870.0 kg/m3, and had low asphaltene (<2.2%) and sulphur (<0.44%) contents. The gasoline fraction (b.p. >200°C) ranged from 12–34%. The saturated hydrocarbon content was 35.3 to 77.8%, and the ratio of saturate to aromatic hydrocarbons was 2.1–5.2, indicating long‐distance migration or high thermal maturities. GC analyses of saturate fractions indicated a composition dominated by n‐alkanes with a maximum at C13–C15 and reduced abundance in the C20–C35 range. The analysed crude oil samples are characterized by relatively low concentrations of steranes and triterpanes.

Biomarker data indicated an algal origin for the precursor organic matter and a clastic‐dominated source rock. Sterane isomerization ratios imply that the oils are in general relatively mature. Exceptions are samples from the Juzno Olempijskoye and Deiminskoye fields, Kaliningrad, which were early mature. Oil from well Gondinga‐l (Lithuania) was lightly fractionally evaporated and has a relatively higher density, higher viscosity, higher asphaltene content and lower content of saturated fractions.

Stable carbon isotope ratios of crude oils and saturated and aromatic fractions were analysed. Whole oils showed little carbon isotope variation, but there were significant differences in δ13C ratios for saturated and aromatic fractions. The geochemical data show differences in oil sourcing and indicate the possible existence of different kitchen areas in the Kaliningrad region.

Vertical and lateral variations in Deimena Group reservoir properties are controlled by variations in quartz cementation. In fields in western Lithuania, sandstone porosity ranges from 0.7 to 20% and permeability from 20 mD to 300 mD; in fields onshore Kaliningrad, porosity is up to 34% and gas permeability up to 4.8 D. Wide variations in porosity and permeability occur at a field scale.
THE TIGHT DANIAN EKOFISK CHALK RESERVOIR FORMATION IN THE SOUTH ARNE FIELD, NORTH SEA: MINERALOGY AND POROSITY PROPERTIES
Authors: Lindgreen H. , Fallick A.E. , Jakobsen F. , Springer N.
Published: June 2012

In the Danish North Sea, the chalk of the Danian Ekofisk Formation is largely pelagic and includes horizons of clay‐sized quartz and/or clay minerals. The upper part of the Ekofisk Formation (“Ekofisk Porous”) has reservoir potential, whereas the lower part of the formation (“Ekofisk Tight”) is of low permeability. The Ekofisk Formation was studied in wells Rigs‐1, Rigs‐2 and SA‐1 in the South Arne field in the Danish North Sea. Clay‐poor and clay‐rich horizons were sampled in order to evaluate the effect of the mineralogical composition on the reservoir properties of the Ekofisk Formation. The Ekofisk chalk samples were investigated by scanning electron and atomic force microscopy, by thermal analysis and for isotopic composition. Helium porosity, gas permeability and nitrogen adsorption (for specific surface area and fine porosity) were measured to characterize the chalk structure. Calcite was removed by titration and the residues investigated by X‐ray diffraction and atomic force microscopy. The clay layers consisting of nano‐quartz, clay minerals and carbonates have He‐porosity similar to that of the tight chalk matrix and have a large amount of fine pores (<200 Å diameter) which favour diffusion. This diffusion has dissolved calcite in the layers and has resulted in the formation of low‐porosity chalk due to recrystallization of calcite adjacent to the layers.

The chalk matrix of the Ekofisk Formation contains a considerable amount of non‐calcite residue, of which the major part (∼2/3) is nano‐quartz. The nano‐quartz is assumed to have formed by sedimentation. For the samples investigated, there is no clear correlation between mineralogy (% residue, % nano‐quartz, % clay minerals) and porosity/permeability. However, samples with <20% residue have high He‐porosity and relatively high permeability; whereas samples with >25% residue have permeability <0.4 mD. The effect on He‐porosity is due to the content of both nano‐quartz and clay minerals, whereas the effect on permeability is mainly due to the content of nano‐quartz, because the nano‐size quartz particles pack between the coccoliths and thereby reduce the effective pore throat size. Consequently, for reservoir evaluation purposes, it is important to distinguish between the clay minerals and the nano‐quartz in the clay fraction. However, the high proportion of nano‐quartz in the Ekofisk Formation in general, and the relative high content in the Ekofisk Tight in particular, suggest that nano‐quartz may have a major impact on the reservoir properties.
Extracting the amphibian chytrid fungus from formalin‐fixed specimens
Authors: Richards‐Hrdlicka Kathryn L.
Published: June 2012

1. Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis is a chytrid fungal pathogen driving many amphibian species extinct. For some species, the only place they can be found is in natural history museum collections. Harnessing molecular tools to uncover this pathogen’s date of arrival and movement throughout a region and through time will prove useful to broader B. dendrobatidis research. However, it has remained difficult to access B. dendrobatidis DNA from within preserved host tissues, especially specimens that were originally fixed in formalin.

2. Herein, I describe two methods to extract and detect, via qPCR, B. dendrobatidis DNA from herpetological natural history collections. Both extraction methods use a DNA‐binding matrix, either a magnetic bead resin or a silica membrane, that retains and separates the extracted DNA from potentially qPCR‐inhibiting contaminates. Nine positive control specimens enabled initial method optimizations and coincidently limited empirical comparisons between each extraction method. A museum study involving 164 formalin‐fixed amphibians from Connecticut, either having been originally fixed in the 1960s or 2000s, were swabbed and samples extracted by one of the two presented methods.

3. Each method successfully extracted B. dendrobatidis DNA; of the 164 specimens tested, 37 were found B. dendrobatidis‐positive, including six specimens (representing three caudate species) from 1968. In addition, results show that an infected individual stored in a jar of multiple specimens does not always contaminate the other specimens with B. dendrobatidis.

4. These results suggest that qPCR methods are well suited to assess B. dendrobatidis presence but to not assign zoospore loads in preserved specimens.
Providing cardiovascular risk management information to acute coronary syndrome patients: A randomized trial
Authors: Broadbent Elizabeth , Leggat Alexandra , McLachlan Andy , Kerr Andrew
Published: June 2012

Objectives. Cardiac patients have been shown to have inaccurate understanding of their cardiovascular risk. The purpose of the study was to investigate whether a guideline‐based risk assessment and management intervention could facilitate understanding of cadiovascular risk and appropriate illness perceptions in cardiac patients.

Design. Randomized trial.

Methods. A total of 106 patients with MI or unstable angina were randomized to receive standard care with or without a 30‐min nurse‐led computerized Predict CVD‐Diabetes (where CVD is cardiovascular disease) session. Patients’ risk perceptions (using categorical and numerical measures), and perceptions of their heart condition were assessed at admission, discharge, and 3 months.

Results. The intervention group rated the risk information as more easily understood than the control group. At discharge, they had increased perceptions of personal control, higher perceptions that a low‐fat diet and regular exercise could help their condition, and believed their current illness would be shorter compared to the control group. At 3 months, no group differences were significant. The intervention had no effect on risk perceptions, which were high in both groups. Patients’ perceptions of ‘high’ risk corresponded to numerical estimates of over 50%, which differs from clinical guidelines (over 20%).

Conclusions. A computerized cardiovascular risk assessment and management session can help acute coronary syndrome patients understand CVD risk information and improve perceptions of control in the short term, but not change risk perceptions. In‐hospital risk factor assessment and management information may help patients understand the importance of key lifestyle changes.

Statement of contribution

What is already known on this subject?

Many members of the public, as well as patients with diagnosed coronary heart disease (CHD), have poor understanding of their cardiovascular disease risk.

Giving risk information can improve accuracy of risk perceptions, and may increase intentions to start preventive risk reduction treatments but more research is needed with patients with established CHD.

What does this study add?

Providing acute coronary syndrome patients with individualised risk assessment and risk management information may be beneficial over the short term by increasing patients' perceptions of control and the importance of key lifestyle changes.

A difficulty in communicating cardiovascular risk levels is the poor correspondence between patients' understanding of very high risk and the clinical definition of very high risk.
Prevalence and socioeconomic differences of risk factors of cardiovascular disease in Ecuadorian adolescents
Authors: Ochoa‐Avilés A. , Andrade S. , Huynh T. , Verstraeten R. , Lachat C. , Rojas R. , Donoso S. , Manuel‐y‐Keenoy B. , Kolsteren P.
Published: June 2012

Purpose

The aim of this paper is to report the prevalence of cardiovascular risk factors and socioeconomic differences in school‐going Ecuadorian adolescents.

Methods

A cross‐sectional study was performed from January 2008 until April 2009 in 770 adolescents aged 10 to 16 years old, who attend secondary schools in an urban (Cuenca), and rural area (Nabón) in Ecuador. Data collected for the overall sample included anthropometric variables (weight, height and waist circumference), blood pressure and socio‐demographic characteristics. Fasting blood glucose and lipid profile determinations were collected in a subsample of 334 adolescents.

Results

The most prevalent cardiovascular risk factors were dyslipidemia (34.2%), abdominal obesity (19.7%) and overweight (18.0%). The prevalence of the remaining cardiovascular risk factors were high levels of blood pressure (6.2%) and obesity (2.1%). Boys were 3.3 times (P < 0.001) more likely to have risk levels of blood pressure. Compared to their peers from lower socioeconomic groups, children from better off socioeconomic strata were 1.5 times (P = 0.048) more likely to be overweight/obese and 1.5 times (P = 0.046) more likely to have abdominal obesity. Overweight and obese children were 4.4 times more likely to have dyslipidemia (P < 0.001). Children living in the rural area were 2.8 times (P = 0.002) more likely to have dyslipidemia than those from the urban area.

Conclusions

Our results demonstrate the advanced levels of the nutrition transition in this Ecuadorian adolescent population. Primary health care should monitor and take actions to address this public health problem in adolescents.
Co‐release of glutamate and GABA from single, identified mossy fibre giant boutons
Authors: Beltrán Jesús Q. , Gutiérrez Rafael
Published: June 2012

Key points

The granule cells and their mossy fibres (MFs) can express, besides glutamate, all the markers of the GABAergic phenotype during development, suggesting that they can co‐release glutamate and GABA.

Several groups have presented substantial electrophysiological evidence, albeit indirect, supporting this hypothesis.

We investigated the co‐release of these amino acids by recording synaptic responses in mechanically dissociated pyramidal cells to stimulation of single, identified MF boutons attached to their apical dendrite.

In pyramidal cells from developing rats, MF bouton stimulation evoked responses that were mediated by either glutamate receptors (R) only or by both glutamate‐R and GABAA‐R; in adult rats stimulation of MF boutons produced exclusively glutamate‐R‐mediated responses. By contrast, responses to stimulation of interneuronal boutons on the same cells were exclusively GABAA‐R mediated.

We demonstrate that the pharmacologically isolated GABAergic responses evoked by MF stimulation in CA3 cells in slice preparations may indeed be of MF origin.

Abstract  Several laboratories have provided immunohistochemical, molecular biological and electrophysiological evidence that the glutamatergic granule cells of the dentate gyrus can transiently express a GABAergic phenotype during development. Electrophysiological recordings on hippocampal slices obtained during this period have shown that stimulation of the mossy fibres (MFs) provokes simultaneous monosynaptic GABAA and glutamate receptor‐mediated responses in their target cells, which have the pharmacological and physiological characteristics of MF neurotransmission. This evidence, although strongly supporting the hypothesis that MFs co‐release glutamate and GABA, is indirect, as the extracellular stimulation used in slice experiments could activate fibres other than MFs. In this study, we show that selective stimulation of single, identified MF boutons (MFBs) attached to the apical dendrites of dissociated pyramidal cells of developing rats produced synaptic currents mediated by either glutamate receptors only or by both glutamate and GABAA receptors. By contrast, stimulation of MFBs of adult rats produced exclusively glutamate receptor‐mediated responses. All responses evoked by stimulation of MFBs underwent strong frequency‐dependent potentiation and were depressed by the activation of presynaptic metabotropic glutamate receptors. On the other hand, synaptic responses evoked by stimulation of interneuronal boutons located on the soma or on the basal dendrites of the same pyramidal cells were exclusively mediated by GABAA receptors, underwent frequency‐dependent depression and were unaffected by mGluR agonists. We here demonstrate that the simultaneous glutamatergic and GABAergic responses evoked by MF stimulation in pyramidal cells of CA3 during development have a common origin in the giant MFBs.
A Model for Line-Contact EHL Problems—Consideration of Effects of Navier-Slip and Lubricant Rheology
Authors: Chu Li-Ming , Lin Jaw-Ren , Li Wang-Long , Lu Jian-Ming
Published: June 2012

The coupled extended Reynolds (which includes the effects of Navier-slip and flow rheology), elasticity deformation, and the load equilibrium (under a constant load condition) equations are solved simultaneously for the EHL problems. Results show that as the slip length increases or the flow index decreases, the film thickness decreases, the central pressure increases, the pressure spike decreases, the maximum pressure switches from the pressure spike to the central pressure, and the film shape and pressure profiles moves gradually toward the outlet. A proper combination of flow rheology and slip length could fulfill some preferred EHL conditions.
Novel 4-Aminoquinoline Analogs Highly Active against the Blood and Sexual Stages of Plasmodium
In Vivo
and
In Vitro
Authors: Sáenz Fabián E. , Mutka Tina , Udenze Kenneth , Oduola Ayoade M. J. , Kyle Dennis E.
Published: June 2012

New drugs to treat malaria must act rapidly and be highly potent against asexual blood stages, well tolerated, and affordable to residents of regions of endemicity. This was the case with chloroquine (CQ), a 4-aminoquinoline drug used for the prevention and treatment of malaria. However, since the 1960s,
Plasmodium falciparum
resistance to this drug has spread globally, and more recently, emerging resistance to CQ by
Plasmodium vivax
threatens the health of 70 to 320 million people annually. Despite the emergence of CQ resistance, synthetic quinoline derivatives remain validated leads for new drug discovery, especially if they are effective against CQ-resistant strains of malaria. In this study, we investigated the activities of two novel 4-aminoquinoline derivatives, TDR 58845,
N
1
-(7-chloro-quinolin-4-yl)-2-methyl-propane-1,2-diamine, and TDR 58846,
N
1
-(7-chloro-quinolin-4-yl)-2,
N
2
,
N
2
-trimethylpropane-1,2-diamine and found them to be active against
P. falciparum
in vitro
and
Plasmodium berghei
in vivo
. The
P. falciparum
clones and isolates tested were susceptible to TDR 58845 and TDR 58846 (50% inhibitory concentrations [IC
50
s] ranging from 5.52 to 89.8 nM), including the CQ-resistant reference clone W2 and two multidrug-resistant parasites recently isolated from Thailand and Cambodia. Moreover, these 4-aminoquinolines were active against early and late
P. falciparum
gametocyte stages and cured BALB/c mice infected with
P. berghei
. TDR 58845 and TDR 58846 at 40 mg/kg were sufficient to cure mice, and total doses of 480 mg/kg of body weight were well tolerated. Our findings suggest these novel 4-aminoquinolines should be considered for development as potent antimalarials that can be used in combination to treat multidrug-resistant
P. falciparum
and
P. vivax
.
Mutations That Impact the Enteropathogenic Escherichia coli Cpx Envelope Stress Response Attenuate Virulence in Galleria mellonella
Authors: Leuko S. , Raivio T. L.
Published: June 2012

In this paper, we show that the larvae of the greater wax moth,
Galleria mellonella
, can be used as a model to study enteropathogenic
Escherichia coli
(EPEC) virulence.
G. mellonella
larvae are killed after infection with EPEC type strain E2348/69 but not by an attenuated derivative that expresses diminished levels of the major virulence determinants or by a mutant specifically defective in type III secretion (T3S). Infecting EPEC inhabit the larval hemocoel only briefly and then become localized to melanized capsules, where they remain extracellular. Previously, it was shown that mutations affecting the Cpx envelope stress response lead to diminished expression of the bundle-forming pilus (BFP) and the type III secretion system (T3SS). We demonstrate that mutations that activate the Cpx pathway have a dramatic effect on the ability of the bacterium to establish a lethal infection, and this is correlated with an inability to grow
in vivo
. Infection with all
E. coli
strains led to increased expression of the antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) gloverin and cecropin, although strain- and AMP-specific differences were observed, suggesting that the
G. mellonella
host perceives attenuated strains and Cpx mutants in unique manners. Overall, this study shows that
G. mellonella
is an economical, alternative infection model for the preliminary study of EPEC host-pathogen interactions, and that induction of the Cpx envelope stress response leads to defects in virulence.
Helmet use in BIXI cyclists in Toronto, Canada: an observational study
Authors: Bonyun Marissa , Camden Andi , Macarthur Colin , Howard Andrew
Published: June 2012

Objective

To investigate the use of helmets for cyclists choosing to use BIXI bikes in comparison to personal bike riders in the City of Toronto.

Design

Cross-sectional study design.

Setting

Cyclists were observed in Toronto, Canada.

Participants

Of the 6732 sample size, 306 cyclists on BIXI bikes and 6426 personal bike riders were observed.

Outcome measure

The outcome of interest was helmet use.

Results

Overall, 50.3% of cyclists wore helmets. The proportion of BIXI bike riders using helmets was significantly lower than the proportion of helmet users on personal bikes (20.9% vs 51.7%, respectively, p<0.0001).

Conclusions

Although the BIXI bike programme has provided an alternate means for Torontonians to use a bicycle, cyclists using BIXI bikes are much less likely to wear a helmet. Since the prevalence of helmet use in cyclists in general is already low, helmet use should be especially promoted in BIXI bike riders in order to promote a safe and healthy environment for cyclists.
STRUCTURE OF TWO-NEUTRON HALO NUCLEI, 11Li
Authors: HWASH WALEED S. , YAHAYA REDZUWAN , RADIMAN SHAHIDAN , ISMAIL AZNAN FAZLI
Published: June 2012

The two-neutron halo nucleus 11 Li has been investigated in this work. Jacobi coordinates is used to describe the three-body system, using two configurations that are the T-configuration and Y-configuration. The calculations have been calculated based on a cluster model. The 11 Li nucleus is considered as three-body system core (9 Li )+n+n. The core here has been considered as a deformed core. The calculations confirmed that the core has some deformation and has an oblate shape which in turn has effects on the structure of three-body system.
POLAR NANOREGION IN RELAXOR FERROELECTRICS STUDIED BY ANALYTICAL ELECTRON MICROSCOPY
Authors: LI Y. L. , XIE L. , ZHU J.
Published: June 2012

Relaxor ferroelectrics have different properties from that of the normal ferroelectrics, such as dielectric properties with diffuse phase transition and frequency dispersion, specific heat, birefringence, elastic constants and Raman scattering, etc. It is considered that the different properties are related with the polar nanoregions in relaxors. In this work we briefly introduce how we use the high spatial resolution analytical electron microscopy and high resolution electron microscopy methods to investigate the polar nanoregion in Pb(Mg1/3Nb2/3)O3 (PMN), Pb(Mg1/3Nb2/3)O3–PbTiO3 (PMN–PT) and Ba ( Ti 1-x Sn x) O 3 (BTSn). The main experimental results1–10 are as mentioned in next three parts.
The HYP-RT Hypoxic Tumour Radiotherapy Algorithm and Accelerated Repopulation Dose per Fraction Study
Authors: Harriss-Phillips W. M. , Bezak E. , Yeoh E.
Published: June 2012

The HYP-RT model simulates hypoxic tumour growth for head and neck cancer as well as radiotherapy and the effects of accelerated repopulation and reoxygenation. This report outlines algorithm design, parameterisation and the impact of accelerated repopulation on the increase in dose/fraction needed to control the extra cell propagation during accelerated repopulation. Cell kill probabilities are based on Linear Quadratic theory, with oxygenation levels and proliferative capacity influencing cell death. Hypoxia is modelled through oxygen level allocation based on pO2histograms. Accelerated repopulation is modelled by increasing the stem cell symmetrical division probability, while the process of reoxygenation utilises randomised pO2increments to the cell population after each treatment fraction. Propagation of 108tumour cells requires 5–30 minutes. Controlling the extra cell growth induced by accelerated repopulation requires a dose/fraction increase of 0.5–1.0 Gy, in agreement with published reports. The average reoxygenation pO2increment of 3 mmHg per fraction results in full tumour reoxygenation after shrinkage to approximately 1 mm. HYP-RT is a computationally efficient model simulating tumour growth and radiotherapy, incorporating accelerated repopulation and reoxygenation. It may be used to explore cell kill outcomes during radiotherapy while varying key radiobiological and tumour specific parameters, such as the degree of hypoxia.
EUS-FNA for a Pancreatic Neuroendocrine Tumor in a Four-Year-Old Daughter of a Woman Exposed to Radiation at Chernobyl
Authors: Lachter Jesse , Arkovitz Marc S. , Postovski Sergey , Waldner Julian M. , Shaoul Ron , Ishay Offir Ben , Kluger Yoram
Published: June 2012

Pancreatic neoplasms in children are rare. Herein is reported the case of a four-year-old girl whose mother was exposed to radiation at Chernobyl that presented with obstructive jaundice and a mass suspected on CT and diagnosed by endoscopic ultrasound (EUS) with fine needle aspiration (FNA). This child is probably the youngest case of application of linear EUS with biopsy to be described. The diagnosis, management, and followup of children with this rare tumor are discussed.
Traditional Chinese MedicineZHENGIdentification Provides a Novel Stratification Approach in Patients with Allergic Rhinitis
Authors: Liang Kai-Li , Jiang Rong-San , Lee Chia-Lin , Chiang Pei-Jung , Lin Jui-Shan , Su Yi-Chang
Published: June 2012

Background. We aimed to apply theZHENGidentification to provide an easy and useful tool to stratify the patients with allergic rhinitis (AR) through exploring the correlation between the quantified scores of AR symptoms and the TCMZHENGs.Methods. A total of 114 AR patients were enrolled in this observational study. All participants received the examinations of anterior rhinoscopy and acoustic rhinometry. Their blood samples were collected for measurement of total serum immunoglobulin E (IgE), blood eosinophil count (Eos), and serum eosinophil cationic protein (ECP). They also received two questionnaire to assess the severity scores of AR symptoms and quantified TCMZHENGscores. Multiple linear regression analysis was used to determine explanatory factors for the score of AR manifestations.Results. IgE and ECP level, duration of AR, the 2 derived TCMZHENGscores of “Yin-Xu − Yang-Xu”, and “Qi-Xu+Blood-Xu” were 5 explanatory variables to predict the severity scores of AR symptoms. The patients who had higher scores of “Yin-Xu − Yang-Xu” or “Qi-Xu+Blood-Xu” tended to manifest as “sneezer and runner” or “blockers,” respectively.Conclusions.The TCMZHENGscores correlated with the severity scores of AR symptoms and provided an easy and useful tool to stratify the AR patients.
Physical Activity Behaviour: An Overview of Current and Emergent Theoretical Practices
Authors: Buchan Duncan S. , Ollis Stewart , Thomas Non E. , Baker Julien S.
Published: June 2012

Physical activity research has been dominated by traditional cognitive rationale paradigms utilized within other domains. Though this approach to physical activity behavior has greatly enhanced our understanding of the key determinants, it has done little to eradicate the health problems we currently face. In order to achieve lasting change though, multilevel interventions may prove effective. Ecological perspectives have been proposed as an effective approach in combating current physical inactivity levels. Nevertheless, this approach is in its infancy and much has still to be learned. The aim of this paper is to provide an overview of the main behavioral models used within the physical activity domain while proposing the need for further models that will embrace the principles presented by ecological and complexity theories.
Thymidine Kinase 1 Upregulation Is an Early Event in Breast Tumor Formation
Authors: Alegre Melissa M. , Robison Richard A. , O'Neill Kim L.
Published: June 2012

Prognostic markers play an important role in our understanding of tumors and how to treat them. Thymidine kinase 1 (TK1), a proliferation marker involved in DNA repair, has been shown to have independent prognostic potential. This prognostic potential includes the novel concept that upregulation of serum TK1 levels is an early event in cancer development. This same effect may also be seen in tumor tissue. In order to demonstrate that TK1 upregulation is an early event in tumor tissue formation, tissue arrays were obtained and stained for TK1 by immunohistochemistry. Using a progressive breast tissue array, precancerous tissue including breast adenosis, simple hyperplasia, and atypical hyperplasia stained positive for TK1 expression. Different stages of breast carcinoma tissue also stained positive for TK1 including nonspecific infiltrating duct, infiltrating lobular, and infiltrating duct with lymph node metastasis carcinomas. This indicates that TK1 upregulation is an early event in breast carcinoma development, and may be useful in identifying precancerous tissue. Further work is needed to better understand the differences seen between TK1 positive and negative tissues.
High‐Efficiency CdS Quantum‐Dots‐Sensitized Solar Cells with Compressed Nanocrystalline TiO2 Photoelectrodes
Authors: Wang Yanan , Peng Ning , Li Hongling , Bai Xuduo
Published: June 2012

Nanocrystalline TiO2 films were fabricated on titanium substrates by compression method. The CdS quantum dots (QDs) were assembled onto the compressed TiO2 layers, which serve as sensitizers. A maximum power conversion efficiency of 4.49% is achieved under 100 mW/cm2 illumination. In this paper, we find that the compression can help increase the efficiency of the cell by increasing the absorption of the CdS QDs and improving the transportation of photogenerated electrons.
Circulation: Arrhythmia and Electrophysiology
Editors’ Picks
Authors:   The Editors
Published: June 2012

The following articles are being highlighted as part of
Circulation: Arrhythmia and Electrophysiology’s
Topic Review series. This series will summarize the most important manuscripts, as selected by the editors, published in
Circulation: Arrhythmia and Electrophysiology, Circulation
, and the other
Circulation
subspecialty journals. The studies included in this article represent the most read manuscripts published on the topic of arrhythmia devices (defibrillation, pacing, pacemakers, heart arrest, and resuscitation) in 2010 and 2011.
Most Important Papers in Peripheral Arterial Disease
Authors:   The Editors
Published: June 2012

The following are highlights from the series,
Circulation: Cardiovascular Interventions
Topic Review. This series summarizes the most important manuscripts, as selected by the editors that have published in the
Circulation
portfolio. The studies included in this article represent the most noteworthy research in the area of peripheral arterial disease.
A Monocultural Usage: διακον - words in Classical, Hellenistic, and Patristic Sources
Authors: Collins John N.
Published: June 2012

Abstract

A scholarly consensus about the interpretation of the διακον - words has been in place for 70 years. The consensus maintains that early Christian writers adopted διακον - words because of their lowly connotations and imbued them with new meanings specific to Christian living and community arrangements. The new meanings had developed on the model of Jesus who came to serve others in self-giving love. A 1990 study of pre-Christian and early Christian Greek claimed to invalidate the consensus, a claim now supported in specialist publications. This paper extends sampling of usage into patristic usage. Implications for exegesis and ecclesiology are immediate.