bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Comissão de ética no uso de animais: Trajetória, avanços e compromissos da CEUA da Faculdade de Medicina de São José do Rio Preto (FAMERP)
Authors: André Júlio César , Somera Elizabeth Abelama Sena
Published: January 2015

A trajetória da Comissão de Ética no Uso de Animais da FAMERP é motivo de relevante defensoria, já que é ação institucional indireta em prol do melhoramento das condições de oferta do curso de Medicina, eleva a bandeira da Bioética Animal, contextualiza o processo de ensino-aprendizagem e de pesquisa, proporciona habilidades técnicas e conceituais, dentre outras. Os avanços ocorreram ao longo de 14 anos, período em que é possível afirmar com mais propriedade o aprimoramento constante desse serviço voluntário e relatar o compromisso dos membros da CEUA em consonância com a legislação, mas acima de tudo, com a consciência de que o desenvolvimento do ensino e pesquisa por meio dos animais jamais minimizará o respeito, a consideração e a ética que lhes são devidos e o esforço coletivo na busca da diminuição do seu uso para as atividades, visando a troca por métodos alternativos. No presente trabalho, relatamos o percurso já efetuado com dados e informações que ilustram o trabalho e os avanços, o que justifica sua existência local e no estado de São Paulo.
Análise das condições sociofamiliares de crianças em acolhimento institucional: Comparando dois momentos
Authors: Iêda Chaves Cavalcante Lilia , Ribeiro de Araújo Cristina , Luana Carneiro Góes Érica , Maria Colino Magalhães Celina
Published: January 2015

Conhecer quais as condições contextuais nas quais o desenvolvimento infantil ocorre no Brasil é um importante desafio para pesquisas interdisciplinares atuais que procuram subsidiar políticas públicas. Isso significa conferir especial atenção a investigações que objetivam compreender as condições ecológicas nas quais as crianças estão submetidas em diferentes regiões do país. Este artigo pretende discutir as condições sociofamiliares de crianças que viviam em uma instituição de acolhimento infantil na região metropolitana de Belém, Pará, tomando como referência dados registrados em seus prontuários nos anos de 2004 (n=287) e 2009 (n=249). Para tanto, o estudo focalizou variáveis referentes à situação socioeconômica da família e sociojurídica da criança, em um intervalo de cinco anos. A análise comparativa dos resultados demonstra que os sinais da pobreza presentes no contexto pesquisado são mais graves do que os encontrados na população infantil geral, reforçando o argumento de que é necessário conhecer a extensão de seus efeitos sobre o desenvolvimento humano, sobretudo no caso de crianças na primeira infância expostas a condições ecológicas que tipicamente caracterizam as instituições de acolhimento.
A nova regulação do sistema financeiro face à crise econômica mundial de 2008
Authors: Herbst Kharen Kelm , Duarte Francisco Carlos
Published: January 2015

A finalidade da nova regulação é garantir uma maior estabilidade do sistema financeiro,após décadas de flexibilização das leis que permitiu a existência de práticas fraudulentas eabusivas que levaram o capitalismo à beira do colapso. O nosso objetivo neste trabalho éestudar como está sendo realizada a construção desta nova regulação diante das falhas quea crise de 2008 tornou explícitas. O encontro da ciência econômica com a ciência jurídica sedá a partir da necessidade de se maximizar o bem-estar social em um mundo onde os recursossão escassos. Neste sentido diversos autores desenvolveram seus estudos, criando teorias a respeito da intervenção estatal na economia. No presente artigo, as perspectivas teóricas serão analisadas em conjunto com os fatos que se seguiram à crise de 1929 – a única comparável à atual crise – para então nos debruçarmos sobre os autores contemporâneos e seus estudos a respeito do complexo modelo econômico mundial de mercados aber-tos e globalizados, e das origens da crise de 2008. As questões principais são os meios e os fins pelos quais deve se dar a intervenção estatal na economia atualmente, e quais são os pontos centrais da nova regulação.
A prostituição feminina e o significado esponsal do corpo: um diálogo com o pensamento de Karol Wojtyla
Authors: Susin Luiz Carlos , Pagot Talis
Published: January 2015

O objetivo deste artigo é refletir sobre a realidade da mulher em situação de prostituição, propondo caminhos de dignidade a partir do pensamento de Karol Wojtyla, principalmente a sua Teologia do Corpo. Pretende ser uma contribuição de cunho teológico, aumentando o leque interdisciplinar da discussão. A consciência e a vivência da esponsalidade do corpo, conforme a Teologia do Corpo de Wojtyla, leva a pessoa a um caminho de alto ideal e de excelência humana dentro do plano salvífico de Deus para sua realização. A mulher que se prostitui usa seu corpo como se ele estivesse desconectado de sua subjetividade. É justamente aí que o pensamento wojtyliano pode surgir como uma via de reflexão interdisciplinar, uma vez que apresenta o plano de Deus para a pessoa alcançar a sua máxima realização corporalmente.
Religiões, cristianismo e a busca de uma Terra habitável
Authors: Ligorio Soares Afonso Maria
Published: January 2015

Este artigo visa refletir, do ponto de vista da teologia cristã, sobre a contribuição das religiões na busca de uma terra habitável. O autor parte das recentes discussões sobre sustentabilidade para, em seguida, ampliar a discussão a respeito da questão das identidades e relações interpessoais em nosso lar planetário. Procurar-se-á, portanto, responder (ou, ao menos, formular melhor) as seguintes questões: nosso mundo é sustentável? Mas, a quem interessa que este mundo se sustente: às pessoas comuns ou às empresas e seus negócios? Nosso mundo tem salvação? Que espécie de problema suscita que busquemos salvação para ele? O apuro hermenêutico que conduz a análise tem por referencial teórico as categorias teológicas de J. L. Segundo.
Só o passado salva: reflexões sobre identidades católicas alicerçadas em elementos pré-conciliares
Authors: Portella Rodrigo
Published: January 2015

O artigo apresenta discussão sobre a sensibilidade manifestada por grupos que, na Igreja Católica, identificam elementos litúrgicos, devocionais e teológicos preponderantemente anteriores ao Concílio Vaticano II — e que, a partir da década de 1970, conheceram momentos de esquecimento ou descarte — como de maior identidade e fidelidade em relação à tradição da Igreja Católica e que, por isso, devem ser recuperados ou privilegiados. A pergunta que norteia o artigo é se um modelo de Igreja que foi suplantado pelas reformas do Concílio Vaticano II, uma vez recuperado por alguns, não deixa de ser um simulacro de uma Igreja que não existe mais. Como questão de fundo se coloca o argumento de que a tradição não necessita ser identificada com a imobilidade de determinada identidade. O ponto de partida para a argumentação do artigo é o retorno, cada vez mais enfático, da missa tridentina, em latim.
Dignidade, direitos humanos e cidadania na perspectiva da doutrina social e de Hannah Arendt
Authors: Peretti Clélia
Published: January 2015

O presente artigo discute as relações entre dignidade, direitos humanos e cidadania à luz da doutrina social da Igreja Católica e do pensamento filosófico de Hannah Arendt. Em ambas as perspectivas, o protagonista de toda a vida social é a pessoa humana e seu primado. A dignidade é atributo fundamental para a estrutura social e normativa criada para a conquista e preservação dos direitos humanos. Neste estudo, permeia o entendimento de que os direitos humanos devem ser observados como um conjunto articulado e interdependente dos direitos civis, políticos, sociais e culturais, fundados, para além da ideia da universalidade, no princípio da indivisibilidade — condição indispensável para a construção de uma cidadania global. Os direitos humanos envolvem todos os aspectos da experiência social: pessoal, comunitária e institucional e supranacional. A promoção dos direitos humanos representa a plena dimensão de suas exigências, porque exige a intervenção ativa dos responsáveis pela sociedade e pelos indivíduos. Os direitos humanos fundados na dignidade humana abrem, por sua vez, o caminho para a realização integral das pessoas, incluída a dimensão transcendental e, desta forma, cultivam o bem comum. Não se trata de um discurso abstrato, mas do contato com uma humanidade real, concreta, histórico-existencial. A Igreja compreende que seu compromisso com a justiça, cidadania e defesa dos direitos humanos não é nem supletiva, nem acessória, mas faz parte da essência de sua missão evangélica. A cidadania na perspectiva da filosofia política de Hannah Arendt se exerce por meio da ação na esfera pública de uma comunidade política, na qual se constrói o direito de igualdade, de liberdade e de respeito aos direitos fundamentais do ser humano.
La nozione di diritti umani nella prospettiva della dottrina sociale della Chiesa
Authors: Felice Flavio
Published: January 2015

L’obiettivo di questo articolo è quello di dimostrare la diversità de prospettive della dottrina sociale della Chiesa su i diritti umani. Sottolinea la prospettiva personalista come la più appropriata per comprendere e giustificare l’interesse generale della dottrina sociale per il tema e l’affermazione dei diritti umani. La Chiesa vede nei diritti umani l’opportunità di promuovere e difendere l’universalità della dignità umana, intesa come carattere stampato da Dio creatore per le sue creature. La prospettiva antropologico-cristiana ha per fondamento la persona umana creata a immagine e somiglianza di Dio. La dottrina sociale della Chiesa, mostra una pluralità di dimensioni, essenziali per definire chi è l’essere umano, e, a sua volta, per la promozione e la difesa della dignità umana di fronte alle istituzioni giuridiche, politiche ed economiche. I diritti umani e la dottrina sociale hanno in Giovanni Paolo II uno dei principali teorici. I diritti umani sono un punto di riferimento per tutte le fasi della vita umana e dei contesti politici, sociali, economici e di culturali. Fonte e sintesi dei diritti umani è il diritto alla vita e il diritto alla libertà religiosa.
E a palavra se fez prática: direito e religião e o discurso dos direitos humanos
Authors: Das Chagas Afonso Maria
Published: January 2015

O objetivo deste trabalho é traçar um paralelo entre as instituições do Direito e da Religião e suas implicações na construção discursiva dos direitos humanos. Da prédica às práticas, percebe-se que é indispensável constatar o problema das “razões fracas” que envolvem o discurso de tais direitos, bem como seu baixo potencial mobilizador quanto às condições de efetivação. Ao longo da história, tanto a Religião quanto o Direito, sobretudo na perspectiva do cristianismo, significaram um potencial mobilizador sem paralelos nas distintas e diversas configurações sociais. O discurso então instrumentalizava toda uma carga ética imprescindível no sentido de amoldar condutas ou de mobilizar insurgências, em nome de conteúdos afirmativos que levariam a práticas pessoais e coletivas de transformação da realidade. É necessário, portanto, problematizar essa questão a fim de sondar, em tempos atuais, o que efetivamente convence em matéria de direitos humanos, investigando o porquê de um descompasso entre o que formalmente se declara e o que concretamente se vivencia. Nesse sentido é que também se constata que a dignidade humana é, e continua sendo, uma forte razão a fundamentar os direitos humanos, porém, sualegitimação pode se tornar um perigo.
Que é isto — A “comunidade estatal” em Edith Stein? Um estudo em Teologia e Direitos Humanos
Authors: Mendes Everaldo dos Santos
Published: January 2015

Este estudo objetivou pesquisar a “comunidade estatal” como possibilidade de fundamento ontoteológico — Trinitário — do Estado em Edith Stein e suas interfaces com os Direitos Humanos. Por essa via, foi adotado o seguinte horizonte arqueológico: escavar os elementos soberania, povo e território e lançá-los à luz dos escritos de Edith Stein, de seus mestres e comentadores, com as pesquisas dos nossos dias sobre o  Estado — o que fizemos por meio de uma pesquisa qualitativa de levantamento bibliográfico. No fenômeno da vida associada, só a comunidade (Gemeinschaft) pode abarcar a pessoa humana: corpo-psique-espírito. Por pessoa humana, compreendemos um eu consciente e livre, que, mergulhado em sua ambiguidade (ontológico-ética) e finitude, clama por ser-com o outro, via de acesso ao Outro: um mysterium tremendum — não como mero desejo do desejo de outrem —, na sua condição de ser-medicante de uma realização plena: mendicância de ser feliz, de ser infinito. Na visão orgânica do Estado, identificamos os aspectos espiritual (soberania), psíquico (povo) e corpóreo (território), e vimos que o Estado — uma pessoa, jurídica — necessita de um território do mesmo modo que uma pessoa, humana, precisa de um corpo para viver. Nos nossos dias, o Estado reclama como fundamento uma “comunidade estatal” e não um “contrato social”, como proclama o Estado Moderno. Na comunidade estatal, a soberania — condicio sine qua non — está para o Estado do mesmo modo que a liberdade está para a pessoa humana. Nos escritos de Edith Stein, a concepção cristã — Trinitária — de pessoa humana tem um papel fundamental. Trata-se de uma antropologia cristocêntrica, que apreende a complexidade do ser humano de modo subjetivo e intersubjetivo. Edith Stein mostra — ou melhor, confirma — uma extraordinária visão de conjunto, capaz de abarcar o particular sempre orientado ao universal.
Phenotypic complementation of genetic immunodeficiency by chronic herpesvirus infection
Authors: MacDuff Donna A , Reese Tiffany A , Kimmey Jacqueline M , Weiss Leslie A , Song Christina , Zhang Xin , Kambal Amal , Duan Erning , Carrero Javier A , Boisson Bertrand , Laplantine Emmanuel , Israel Alain , Picard Capucine , Colonna Marco , Edelson Brian T , Sibley L David , Stallings Christina L , Casanova Jean-Laurent , Iwai Kazuhiro , Virgin Herbert W
Published: January 2015

Variation in the presentation of hereditary immunodeficiencies may be explained by genetic or environmental factors. Patients with mutations in HOIL1 (RBCK1) present with amylopectinosis-associated myopathy with or without hyper-inflammation and immunodeficiency. We report that barrier-raised HOIL-1-deficient mice exhibit amylopectin-like deposits in the myocardium but show minimal signs of hyper-inflammation. However, they show immunodeficiency upon acute infection with Listeria monocytogenes, Toxoplasma gondii or Citrobacter rodentium. Increased susceptibility to Listeria was due to HOIL-1 function in hematopoietic cells and macrophages in production of protective cytokines. In contrast, HOIL-1-deficient mice showed enhanced control of chronic Mycobacterium tuberculosis or murine γ-herpesvirus 68 (MHV68), and these infections conferred a hyper-inflammatory phenotype. Surprisingly, chronic infection with MHV68 complemented the immunodeficiency of HOIL-1, IL-6, Caspase-1 and Caspase-1;Caspase-11-deficient mice following Listeria infection. Thus chronic herpesvirus infection generates signs of auto-inflammation and complements genetic immunodeficiency in mutant mice, highlighting the importance of accounting for the virome in genotype-phenotype studies.
Controlling fertilization and cAMP signaling in sperm by optogenetics
Authors: Jansen Vera , Alvarez Luis , Balbach Melanie , Strünker Timo , Hegemann Peter , Kaupp U Benjamin , Wachten Dagmar
Published: January 2015

Optogenetics is a powerful technique to control cellular activity by light. The light-gated Channelrhodopsin has been widely used to study and manipulate neuronal activity in vivo, whereas optogenetic control of second messengers in vivo has not been examined in depth. In this study, we present a transgenic mouse model expressing a photoactivated adenylyl cyclase (bPAC) in sperm. In transgenic sperm, bPAC mimics the action of the endogenous soluble adenylyl cyclase (SACY) that is required for motility and fertilization: light-stimulation rapidly elevates cAMP, accelerates the flagellar beat, and, thereby, changes swimming behavior of sperm. Furthermore, bPAC replaces endogenous adenylyl cyclase activity. In mutant sperm lacking the bicarbonate-stimulated SACY activity, bPAC restored motility after light-stimulation and, thereby, enabled sperm to fertilize oocytes in vitro. We show that optogenetic control of cAMP in vivo allows to non-invasively study cAMP signaling, to control behaviors of single cells, and to restore a fundamental biological process such as fertilization.
Noninvasive Prenatal Testing Using Cell‐Free Fetal DNA in Maternal Plasma
Authors: Dharajiya Nilesh , Zwiefelhofer Tricia , Guan Xiaojun , Angkachatchai Vach , Saldivar Juan‐Sebastian
Published: January 2015

Noninvasive prenatal testing (NIPT) represents an outstanding example of how novel scientific discoveries can be quickly and successfully developed into hugely impactful clinical diagnostic tests. Since the introduction of NIPT to detect trisomy 21 in late 2011, the technology has rapidly advanced to analyze other autosomal and sex chromosome aneuploidies, and now includes the detection of subchromosomal deletion and duplication events. Here we provide a brief overview of how noninvasive prenatal testing using next‐generation sequencing is performed. © 2015 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Stranded Whole Transcriptome RNA‐Seq for All RNA Types
Authors: Miller David F.B. , Yan Pearlly X. , Fang Fang , Buechlein Aaron , Ford James B. , Tang Haixu , Huang Tim H. , Burow Matthew E. , Liu Yunlong , Rusch Douglas B. , Nephew Kenneth P.
Published: January 2015

Stranded whole transcriptome RNA‐Seq described in this unit captures quantitative expression data for all types of RNA including, but not limited to, miRNA (microRNA), piRNA (Piwi‐interacting RNA), snoRNA (small nucleolar RNA), lincRNA (large non‐coding intergenic RNA), SRP RNA (signal recognition particle RNA), tRNA (transfer RNA), mtRNA (mitochondrial RNA), and mRNA (messenger RNA). The size and nature of these types of RNA are irrelevant to the approach described here. Barcoded libraries for multiplexing on the Illumina platform are generated with this approach but it can be applied to other platforms with a few modifications. © 2015 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Slip‐rate‐dependent melt extraction at oceanic transform faults
Authors: Bai Hailong , Montési Laurent G. J.
Published: January 2015

Crustal thickness differences between oceanic transform faults and associated mid‐ocean ridges may be explained by melt migration and extraction processes. Slow‐slipping transform faults exhibit more positive gravity anomalies than the adjacent spreading centers, indicating relative thin crust in the transform domain, whereas at intermediate‐spreading and fast‐spreading ridges transform faults are characterized by more negative gravity anomalies than the adjacent spreading centers, indicating thick crust in the transform domain. We present numerical models reproducing these observations and infer that melt can be extracted at fast‐slipping transforms, but not at slow‐slipping ones. Melt extraction is modeled as a three‐step process. (1) Melt moves vertically through buoyancy‐driven porous flow enhanced by subvertical dissolution channels. (2) Melt accumulates in and travels along a decompaction channel lining a low‐permeability barrier at the base of the thermal boundary layer. (3) Melt is extracted to the surface when it enters a melt extraction zone. A melt extraction width of 2–4 km and a melt extraction depth of 15–20 km are needed to fit the tectonic damages associated with oceanic plate boundaries that reach into the upper mantle. Our conclusions are supported by the different degrees of magmatic activities exhibited at fast‐slipping and slow‐slipping transforms as reflected in geological features, geochemical signals, and seismic behaviors. We also constrain that the maximum lateral distance of crust‐level dike propagation is about 50–70 km.
Time scales of intra‐oceanic arc magmatism from combined U‐Th and (U‐Th)/He zircon geochronology of Dominica, Lesser Antilles
Authors: Howe T. M. , Schmitt A. K. , Lindsay J. M. , Shane P. , Stockli D. F.
Published: January 2015

The island of Dominica, located in the intra‐oceanic Lesser Antilles arc, has produced a series of intermediate (mostly andesitic) lava domes and ignimbrites since the early Pleistocene. (U‐Th)/He eruption ages from centers across the island range from ∼3 to ∼770 ka, with at least 10 eruptions occurring in the last 80 ka. Three eruptions occurred near the southern tip of Dominica (Plat Pays Volcanic Complex) in the past 15 ka alone. Zircon U‐Th ages from individual centers range from near‐eruption to secular equilibrium implicating protracted storage and recycling of zircons within the crust. Overlapping zircon crystallization peaks within deposits from geographically separated vents (up to 40 km apart) indicate that magma associated with separate volcanic edifices crystallized zircon contemporaneously. Two lava domes from the southern sector of the island display exclusively young zircon rim ages (<50 ka) with narrow crystallization peaks consistent with the construction of a new magma reservoir. The younging of eruption and crystallization ages implies that the magmatic foci leading to the construction of this reservoir have migrated southward, arc‐parallel over time. Overall, our data support geochemical models for the ongoing construction of a silicic intrusive complex, consisting of varying amounts of crystal mush, beneath the island. U‐Pb zircon ages <1–2 Ma indicate that accumulation of this complex is entirely Quaternary in age. Together zircon U‐Th and U‐Pb ages for Dominica suggest that the magmatic processes and time scales operating in intra‐oceanic arcs are similar to those documented for continental arcs.
The time dependence of reversed archeomagnetic flux patches
Authors: Terra‐Nova Filipe , Amit Hagay , Hartmann Gelvam A. , Trindade Ricardo I. F.
Published: January 2015

Archeomagnetic field models may provide important insights to the geodynamo. Here we investigate the existence and mobility of reversed flux patches (RFPs) in an archeomagnetic field model. We introduce topological algorithms to define, identify, and track RFPs. In addition, we explore the relations between RFPs and dipole changes and apply robustness tests to the RFPs. In contrast to previous definitions, patches that reside on the geographic equator are adequately identified based on our RFPs definition. Most RFPs exhibit a westward drift and migrate toward higher latitudes. Undulations of the magnetic equator and RFPs oppose the axial dipole moment (ADM). Filtered models show a tracking behavior similar to the nonfiltered model, and surprisingly new RFPs occasionally emerge. The advection and diffusion of RFPs have worked in unison to yield the decrease of the ADM at recent times. The absence of RFPs in the period 550–1440 A.D. is related to a low in intermediate degrees of the geomagnetic power spectrum. We thus hypothesize that the RFPs are strongly dependent on intermediate spherical harmonic degrees 4 and above.
Direct measurement of asperity contact growth in quartz at hydrothermal conditions
Authors: Beeler N. M. , Hickman Stephen H.
Published: January 2015

Earthquake recurrence requires interseismic fault restrengthening which results from solid‐state deformation in room temperature friction and indentation experiments. In contrast, exhumed fault zones show solution‐transport processes such as pressure solution, and contact overgrowths influence fault zone properties. In the absence of fluid flow, overgrowths are driven by gradients in surface curvature where material is dissolved, diffuses, and precipitates at the contact without convergence normal to the contact. To determine the rate of overgrowth for quartz, we conducted single‐contact experiments in an externally heated pressure vessel. Convergence was continuously monitored using reflected light interferometry through a long‐working‐distance microscope. Contact normal force was constant with an initial effective normal stress of 1.7 MPa, temperature was between 350 and 530°C, and water pressure was constant at 150 MPa. Two control experiments were conducted: one dry at 425°C and one bimaterial (sapphire) at 425°C and 150 MPa water pressure. No contact growth or convergence was observed in the controls. For wet single‐phase contacts, growth was initially rapid and then decreased with time. No convergence was observed. Fluid inclusions indicate that the contact is not uniformly wetted. The contact is bounded by small regions of high aperture, reflecting local free‐face dissolution as the source for the overgrowth. The apparent activation energy is ~125 kJ/mol. Extrapolation predicts rates of contact area increase orders of magnitude faster than in dry, room temperature and hydrothermal friction experiments, suggesting that natural strength recovery near the base of the seismogenic zone could be dominated by contact overgrowth.
Assessing the limits of bias‐correcting climate model outputs for climate change impact studies
Authors: Chen Jie , Brissette François P. , Lucas‐Picher Philippe
Published: January 2015

Bias correction of climate model outputs has emerged as a standard procedure in most recent climate change impact studies. A crucial assumption of all bias correction approaches is that climate model biases are constant over time. The validity of this assumption has important implications for impact studies and needs to be verified to properly address uncertainty in future climate projections. Using 10 climate model simulations, this study specifically tests the bias stationarity of climate model outputs over Canada and the contiguous United States (U.S.) by comparing model outputs with corresponding observations over two 20 year historical periods (1961–1980 and 1981–2000). The results show that precipitation biases are clearly nonstationary over much of Canada and the contiguous U.S. and where they vary over much shorter time scales than those normally considered in climate change impact studies. In particular, the difference in biases over two very close periods of the recent past are, in fact, comparable to the climate change signal between future (2061–2080) and historical (1961–1980) periods for precipitation over large parts of Canada and the contiguous U.S., indicating that the uncertainty of future impacts may have been underestimated in most impact studies. In comparison, temperature bias can be considered to be approximately stationary for most of Canada and the contiguous U.S. when compared with the magnitude of the climate change signal. Given the reality that precipitation is usually considered to be more important than temperature for many impact studies, it is advisable that natural climate variability and climate model sensitivity be better emphasized in future impact studies.
Characterizing Bile Acid and Lipid Metabolism in the Liver and Gastrointestinal Tract of Mice
Authors: Modica Salvatore , Murzilli Stefania , Moschetta Antonio
Published: January 2015

Mouse models that mimic human diseases are invaluable tools to study and discover genetic and pharmacological therapies for human diseases. The protocols described in this article are intended to assess general clinical parameters in the context of the enterohepatic system under both normal and pathological conditions. Methods are presented for characterizing liver and intestinal function with a focus on bile acid and lipid metabolism in the gut‐liver axis. Curr. Protoc. Mouse Biol. 1:289‐321 © 2011 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Overview of the Measurement of Lipids and Lipoproteins in Mice
Authors: Tailleux Anne , Staels Bart
Published: January 2015

Experimental mouse models are widely used for preclinical research on dyslipidemia, atherosclerosis, and cardiometabolic diseases. This unit reports the most commonly used biochemical analysis methods available to determine the lipid and lipoprotein phenotype in the mouse. The discussed methods include: the qualitative and quantitative analysis of lipids, apolipoproteins, and lipoproteins (with a specific emphasis on species‐specificities of mice and humans), and the activity assay of major enzymes involved in lipoprotein remodeling (LCAT, PLTP, and LPL). The unit also discusses the most frequently used functional tests to analyze lipid/lipoprotein metabolism in vivo, including triglyceride metabolism, reverse cholesterol transport, intestinal lipid absorption, and secretion. Curr. Protoc. Mouse Biol. 1:265‐277 © 2011 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Epidemiology of Posterior Heel Pain in the General Population: Cross‐Sectional Findings From the Clinical Assessment Study of the Foot
Authors: Chatterton Benjamin D. , Muller Sara , Roddy Edward
Published: January 2015

Objective

To identify the population prevalence of posterior heel pain (HP), related disability, and associated factors.

Methods

A total of 9,334 adults ages ≥50 years were mailed a questionnaire. Participants reporting foot pain in the last month shaded the foot pain location on a manikin. The Manchester Foot Pain and Disability Index assessed disabling foot pain. Population prevalence of any, bilateral, and disabling posterior HP was estimated using weighted logistic regression accounting for nonresponse. Odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (95% CIs) were calculated between posterior HP and age, sex, neighborhood deprivation, occupational class (professional, intermediate, and manual), body mass index (BMI, kg/m2), physical activity, heel height, and diabetes mellitus.

Results

A total of 5,109 questionnaires were received (adjusted response 56%). Six hundred seventy‐five respondents (13%) reported posterior HP, of whom 382 had bilateral symptoms. A total of 398 (8%) reported disabling posterior HP. Posterior HP in either foot was associated with increasing BMI (25.0–29.9 [OR 1.58], 30.0–34.9 [OR 2.13], and ≥35.0 [OR 4.09]) and with manual occupations (OR 1.96, 95% CI 1.47–2.62). Bilateral posterior HP was associated with increasing BMI (25.0–29.9 [OR 1.79], 30.0–34.9 [OR 2.43], and ≥35.0 [OR 5.79]), diabetes mellitus (OR 1.48, 95% CI 1.07–2.05), and manual occupations (OR 2.21, 95% CI 1.48–3.30). Disabling posterior HP was associated with increasing BMI (25.0–29.9 [OR 1.44], 30.0–34.9 [OR 2.50], and ≥35.0 [OR 4.69]), age (≥75 years OR 1.41, 95% CI 1.01–1.96), manual occupations (OR 1.97, 95% CI 1.35–2.88), and diabetes mellitus (OR 1.56, 95% CI 1.04–1.95). High physical activity was negatively associated with posterior HP in either heel (OR 0.43, 95% CI 0.33–0.56), bilateral posterior HP (OR 0.35, 95% CI 0.25–0.49), and disabling posterior HP (OR 0.33, 95% CI 0.23–0.46).

Conclusion

Posterior HP is prevalent and associated with obesity, manual occupations, and physical inactivity. Prospective studies should assess the roles of obesity in causation and weight loss in treatment.
Why do farmworkers delay treatment after debilitating injuries? Thematic analysis explains if, when, and why farmworkers were treated for injuries
Authors: Thierry Amy Danielle , Snipes Shedra Amy
Published: January 2015

Background

Farmworkers who delay treatment after workplace injuries may increase injury severity and experience longer recovery times. To understand why farmworkers delay treatment we employed a mixed‐methods analysis of 393 farmworker injury narratives from the National Agricultural Workers Survey (NAWS).

Methods

First, open‐ended injury narratives were coded for attitudes related to injury timing and delay. Next, narratives were compared against demographic survey attributes to assess contextual information and patterns linked to treatment timing.

Results

Four treatment timings were identified: immediate medical treatment (57.9%), delayed medical treatment (18.2%) self‐ administered treatment (14.9%), and no treatment at all (8.9%). Delay was primarily attributed to attitudes prioritizing work over pain, and when workers were able to work despite injury. However, immediate treatment was sought when workers were completely debilitated and unable to work, when a supervisor was notified, or when exposed to pesticides during injury. Timing choices varied by education, gender and migrant status.

Conclusions

Training on timely treatment, including notification of supervisors, may help reduce treatment delay for farmworkers. Am. J. Ind. Med. 58:178–192, 2015. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Characteristics of nonfatal occupational injuries among U.S. workers with and without disabilities
Authors: Shi Junxin , Gardner Stephen , Wheeler Krista K. , Thompson Meghan C. , Lu Bo , Stallones Lorann , Xiang Huiyun
Published: January 2015

Background

Workers with disabilities have a higher risk of nonfatal occupational injuries than workers without disabilities. The characteristics of these injuries are not well described.

Methods

Using 1997–2011 National Health Interview Survey (NHIS) data, we compared the nonfatal occupational injuries sustained by U.S. workers with and without disabilities.

Results

Overexertion or strenuous movements and falls accounted for 56.7% of all occupational injuries in workers with disabilities, compared with 45.6% in workers without a disability. Workers with disabilities were more frequently injured in the lower extremity (32.3% vs. 26.6%) or torso (22.9% vs. 16.9%). Workers with disabilities sustained more unspecified injuries (13.5% vs. 7.9%) and fewer open wound injuries (15.7% vs. 24.2%) than their counterparts without a disability.

Conclusions

U.S. workers with disabilities had a higher rate of occupational injuries and these injuries tended to be more severe and were more likely to be caused by overexertion/ strenuous movement or falls. Am. J. Ind. Med. 58:168–177, 2015. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Development and validation of a fatigue assessment scale for U.S. construction workers
Authors: Zhang Mingzong , Sparer Emily H. , Murphy Lauren A. , Dennerlein Jack T. , Fang Dongping , Katz Jeffrey N. , Caban‐Martinez Alberto J.
Published: January 2015

Objective

To develop a fatigue assessment scale and test its reliability and validity for commercial construction workers.

Methods

Using a two‐phased approach, we first identified items (first phase) for the development of a Fatigue Assessment Scale for Construction Workers (FASCW) through review of existing scales in the scientific literature, key informant interviews (n = 11) and focus groups (three groups with six workers each) with construction workers. The second phase included assessment for the reliability, validity, and sensitivity of the new scale using a repeated‐measures study design with a convenience sample of construction workers (n = 144).

Results

Phase one resulted in a 16‐item preliminary scale that after factor analysis yielded a final 10‐item scale with two sub‐scales (“Lethargy” and “Bodily Ailment”). During phase two, the FASCW and its subscales demonstrated satisfactory internal consistency (alpha coefficients were FASCW [0.91], Lethargy [0.86] and Bodily Ailment [0.84]) and acceptable test‐retest reliability (Pearson Correlations Coefficients: 0.59–0.68; Intraclass Correlation Coefficients: 0.74–0.80). Correlation analysis substantiated concurrent and convergent validity. A discriminant analysis demonstrated that the FASCW differentiated between groups with arthritis status and different work hours.

Conclusions

The 10‐item FASCW with good reliability and validity is an effective tool for assessing the severity of fatigue among construction workers. Am. J. Ind. Med. 58:220–228, 2015. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Newly Identified Antiatherosclerotic Activity of Methotrexate and Adalimumab: Complementary Effects on Lipoprotein Function and Macrophage Cholesterol Metabolism
Authors: Ronda Nicoletta , Greco Daniela , Adorni Maria Pia , Zimetti Francesca , Favari Elda , Hjeltnes Gunnbjørg , Mikkelsen Knut , Borghi Maria Orietta , Favalli Ennio Giulio , Gatti Rita , Hollan Ivana , Meroni Pier Luigi , Bernini Franco
Published: January 2015

Objective

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is associated with accelerated atherosclerosis. The reduction in cardiovascular risk that is induced by methotrexate (MTX) and anti–tumor necrosis factor α agents in RA is considered secondary to their anti‐inflammatory action, but their effects on serum lipoprotein function and foam cell formation are unknown. The reduced capacity of high‐density lipoprotein (HDL) to promote cell cholesterol efflux and the increased serum cell cholesterol‐loading capacity (CLC) demonstrated in RA may contribute to foam cell development. The aim of this study was to investigate the influence of MTX and adalimumab treatment on serum cholesterol efflux capacity (CEC) and CLC in RA patients and to study the in vitro effects of the two drugs on macrophage cholesterol handling.

Methods

Sera from RA patients treated with MTX (n = 34) or with adalimumab and MTX (n = 22) obtained before treatment, after 6 weeks of treatment, and after 6 months of treatment were analyzed for CEC and CLC by radioisotopic and fluorometric techniques, respectively. The influence of MTX and adalimumab on macrophage cholesterol efflux and uptake was evaluated in vitro using human THP‐1–derived macrophages.

Results

MTX treatment was associated with increases in serum HDL, low‐density lipoprotein, and total cholesterol levels and with ATP‐binding cassette G1–mediated and scavenger receptor class B type I (SR‐BI)–mediated increases in CEC; MTX treatment was not associated with modifications in CLC. Adalimumab treatment was associated with increases in serum HDL levels, a transient increase in SR‐BI–mediated CEC, a transient decrease in ATP‐binding cassette A1–mediated CEC, and a significant reduction in CLC; in addition, adalimumab reduced macrophage cholesterol uptake in vitro.

Conclusion

Antiatherosclerotic activity asso‐ciated with MTX and adalimumab may be mediated by beneficial and complementary effects on lipoprotein functions and on macrophage cholesterol handling. As a whole, these mechanisms may oppose foam cell formation.
Assessment of avocado seeds (Persea americana) to produce bio‐oil through supercritical liquefaction
Authors: Aysu Tevfik , Durak Halil
Published: January 2015

Avocado (Persea americana) seeds were liquefied in supercritical ethanol and acetone with (KOH, ZnCl2) and without catalyst at various temperatures (250, 270, and 290 °C) in an autoclave under high pressure for production of bio‐oil. The effects of liquefaction parameters, such as type of solvent, temperature, and type of catalyst, on the liquefaction yields were studied. Acetone as solvent and zinc chloride as catalyst provide the optimum conditions for liquefaction. The results showed that the highest conversion (liquid + gaseous products) of 76.90 % was obtained in acetone at 290 °C with ZnCl2 (10%). The produced bio‐oils were analyzed and characterized by the methods including Elemental analysis, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT‐IR) and Gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC‐MS). One hundred seventy and 195 different compounds were identified by GC‐MS in the bio‐oils obtained in acetone at 270 and 290 °C, respectively. © 2015 Society of Chemical Industry and John Wiley & Sons, Ltd
Does age affect gastric emptying time? A model‐based meta‐analysis of data from premature neonates through to adults
Authors: Bonner Jennifer J. , Vajjah Pavan , Abduljalil Khaled , Jamei Masoud , Rostami‐Hodjegan Amin , Tucker Geoffrey T. , Johnson Trevor N.
Published: January 2015

Purpose. Gastric emptying (GE) is often reported to be slower and more irregular in premature neonates than in older children and adults. The aim of this study was to investigate the impact of age and other covariates on the rate of GE. Methods. The effect of age on the mean gastric residence times (MGRT) of liquid and solid food was assessed by analysing 49 published studies of 1457 individuals, aged from 28 weeks gestation to adults. The data were modelled using the nonlinear mixed‐effects approach within NONMEM version 7.2 (ICON, Dublin, Ireland), with evaluation of postnatal age, gestational age and meal type as covariates. A double Weibull function was selected as a suitable model since it could account for the typical biphasic nature of GE. Results. Age was not a significant covariate for GE but meal type was. Aqueous solutions were associated with the fastest emptying time (mean simulated gastric residence time of 45 min) and solid food was associated with the slowest (98 min). Conclusions. These findings challenge the assertion that GE is different in neonates, as compared with older children and adults due to age, and they reinforce the significance of food type in modulating GE. © 2015 The Authors. Biopharmaceutics & Drug Disposition Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.
Systematic review of surgery and outcomes in patients with primary aldosteronism
Authors: Muth A , Ragnarsson O , Johannsson G , Wängberg B
Published: January 2015

Background

Primary aldosteronism (PA) is the most common cause of secondary hypertension. The main aims of this paper were to review outcome after surgical versus medical treatment of PA and partial versus total adrenalectomy in patients with PA.

Methods

Relevant medical literature from PubMed, the Cochrane Library and Embase OvidSP from 1985 to June 2014 was reviewed.

Results

Of 2036 records, 43 articles were included in the final analysis. Twenty-one addressed surgical versus medical treatment of PA, four considered partial versus total adrenalectomy for unilateral PA, and 18 series reported on surgical outcomes. Owing to the heterogeneity of protocols and reported outcomes, only a qualitative analysis was performed. In six studies, surgical and medical treatment had comparable outcomes concerning blood pressure, whereas six showed better outcome after surgery. No differences were seen in cardiovascular complications, but surgery was associated with the use of fewer antihypertensive medications after surgery, improved quality of life, and (possibly) lower all-cause mortality compared with medical treatment. Randomized studies indicate a role for partial adrenalectomy in PA, but the high rate of multiple adenomas or adenoma combined with hyperplasia in localized disease is disconcerting. Surgery for unilateral dominant PA normalized BP in a mean of 42 (range 20–72) per cent and the biochemical profile in 96–100 per cent of patients. The mean complication rate in 1056 patients was 4·7 per cent.

Conclusion

Recommendations for treatment of PA are hampered by the lack of randomized trials, but support surgical resection of unilateral disease. Partial adrenalectomy may be an option in selected patients.
Some Problems with Randomized Controlled Trials and Some Viable Alternatives
Authors: Carey Timothy A. , Stiles William B.
Published: January 2015

Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) are currently the dominant methodology for evaluating psychological treatments. They are widely regarded as the gold standard, and in the current climate, it is unlikely that any particular psychotherapy would be considered evidence‐based unless it had been subjected to at least one, and usually more, RCTs. Despite the esteem within which they are held, RCTs have serious shortcomings. They are the methodology of choice for answering some questions but are not well suited for answering others. In particular, they seem poorly suited for answering questions related to why therapies work in some situations and not in others and how therapies work in general. Ironically, the questions that RCTs cannot answer are the questions that are of most interest to clinicians and of most benefit to patients. In this paper, we review some of the shortcomings of RCTs and suggest a number of other approaches. With a more nuanced understanding of the strengths and weaknesses of RCTs and a greater awareness of other research strategies, we might begin to develop a more realistic and precise understanding of which treatment options would be most effective for particular clients with different problems and in different circumstances. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Key Practitioner Message

Practitioners can think more critically about evidence provided by RCTs and can contribute to progress in psychotherapy by conducting research using different methodologies.
Flow cytometric analysis of drug‐Induced basophil histamine release
Authors: Cop N. , Uyttebroek A. P. , Sabato V. , Bridts C. H. , De Clerck L. S. , Ebo D. G.
Published: January 2015

Histamine and its release can be studied by multicolor flow cytometry on a single cell level by an enzyme affinity method (HistaFlow®). However, for the time‐being, the clinical and scientific application of the HistaFlow® technique remains limited. This study aims at verifying the reliability of the HistaFlow® as an instrument to quantify IgE‐mediated basophil responses to drugs, i.e., rocuronium, which are believed to be less potent basophil activators than large proteinaceous allergens.

Ten patients and three exposed control individuals were included in this study. Each subject underwent in vitro basophil activation tests (HistaFlow®) with 0.16 and 1.6 mmol/L rocuronium.

Patients showed an activation of basophils ranging from 11 to 86% of CD63 positive basophils and a median histamine release per cell from 68 to 100% after stimulation with an optimal concentration of 1.6 mmol/L rocuronium. For the control individuals no activation was demonstrable.

This study confirms that the HistaFlow® technique is a reliable tool to study histamine release by individual cells in response to drugs. Although the HistaFlow® technique will probably not add to the diagnostic management of rocuronium allergy, our findings suggest that the technique could constitute an important asset for future studies on the pathomechanism(s) of immediate drug hypersensitivity reactions. © 2015 International Clinical Cytometry Society
Discrete FeII Spin‐Crossover Complexes of 2,2′‐Dipyridylamino‐Substituted s‐Triazine Ligands with Phenoxo, Cyanophenoxo and Dibenzylamino Functionalities
Authors: Scott Hayley S. , Ross Tamsyn M. , Phonsri Wasinee , Moubaraki Boujemaa , Chastanet Guillaume , Létard Jean‐François , Batten Stuart R. , Murray Keith S.
Published: January 2015

Four 2,2′‐dipyridylamino‐s‐triazine‐substituted ligands, each of which incorporate different aromatic substituents (phenoxo, 4‐CN‐phenoxo and benzylamino) with different degrees of bulk and flexibility, have been formed and incorporated into a number of mononuclear FeII complexes of type trans‐[FeII(L)2(NCX)2]·solvent (in which X = S, Se and BH3). These ligands were designed to promote π–π stacking between complexes. The complexes reported have been comprehensively characterised using single‐crystal diffraction techniques in combination with magnetic susceptibility measurements. Light‐induced excited spin‐state trapping (LIESST) measurements have been performed on selected complexes. Light irradiation has shown the occurrence of a reversible photoswitching process at low temperature.
Chitosan and hydroxyapatite composite cross‐linked by dopamine has improved anisotropic hydroxyapatite growth and wet mechanical properties
Authors: Prajatelistia Ekavianty , Lim Chanoong , Oh Dongyeop X. , Jun Sang Ho , Hwang Dong Soo
Published: January 2015

Three of the major impediments to using hydroxyapatite (HAp)‐collagen composites for hard tissue repair are the difficulties in anisotropic growth of HAp, in functional collagen production, and in their cross‐linking. To solve these problems, we fabricated HAp‐based composites for hard tissue repair by using chitosan as a collagen matrix substitute, and dopamine as a replacement for aldehyde‐based cross‐linkers. In the presence of chitosan and dopamine, the HAp particles grew anisotropically in a needle shape with an aspect ratio of ∼4.4. The needle‐shaped HAp particles were dispersed well in the chitosan matrix, and dopamine‐mediated cross‐linking enhanced the stiffness and reduced swelling in the presence of water. The composite is too weak for use in hard tissue repair, but could be used for curing dentin sensitivity by blocking and remineralization on dentinal tubules, and in drug‐delivery applications.