bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Effect of triethylene glycol dimethacrylate on the cytotoxicity, cyclooxygenase‐2 expression and prostanoids production in human dental pulp cells
Authors: Chang H.‐H. , Chang M.‐C. , Huang G.‐F. , Wang Y.‐L. , Chan C.‐P. , Wang T.‐M. , Lin P.‐S. , Jeng J.‐H.
Published: March 2012

Chang H‐H, Chang M‐C, Huang G‐F, Wang Y‐L, Chan C‐P, Wang T‐M, Lin P‐S, Jeng J‐H. Effect of triethylene glycol dimethacrylate on the cytotoxicity, cyclooxygenase‐2 expression and prostanoids production in human dental pulp cells. International Endodontic Journal, 45, 848–858, 2012.

Aim  To evaluate the effect of TEGDMA on cell cycle progression as well as alterations of cell cycle‐related gene and protein expression.

Methodology  Human dental pulp cells were exposed to 0–5 mmol L−1 TEGDMA for 24 h. Cytotoxicity was evaluated by 3‐(4, 5‐dimethyl‐ thiazol‐2‐yl)‐2,5‐diphenyl ‐tetrazolium bromide assay. Cell cycle progression was analysed by propidium iodide (PI) flow cytometry. Cell death pathway was surveyed by annexin V/PI dual‐staining flow cytometry. The mRNA expression of cell cycle‐related genes (cdc2, cyclinB1 and p21) and COX‐2 was evaluated by reverse transcriptase‐polymerase chain reaction, and their protein expression was evaluated by Western blotting. The production of PGE2 and PGF2α in the culture medium was determined by enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay.

Results  Triethylene glycol dimethacrylate inhibited cellular growth and induced cell cycle deregulation in dental pulp cells. High‐dose exposure provoked both necrotic and apoptotic cell death. The gene and protein expression of cdc2, cyclin B1 and cdc25C declined obviously whilst cells treated with 2.5 mmol L−1 TEGDMA concurrent with the elevated expression of p21. The mRNA and protein expression of COX‐2, along with production of PGE2 and PGF2α, are drastically raised by 2.5–5 mmol L−1 TEGDMA.

Conclusions  Triethylene glycol dimethacrylate induced cytotoxicity, cell cycle arrest and apoptosis in dental pulp cells, which was associated with the decline of cdc2, cyclin B1, cdc25C expression and elevation of p21 expression. Concomitantly, COX‐2 expression, PGE2 and PGF2α production increased. These effects may contribute to explain the pulpal damage and inflammation induced by TEGDMA after operative procedures.
Influence of rubber dam on objective and subjective parameters of stress during dental treatment of children and adolescents – a randomized controlled clinical pilot study
Authors: AMMANN PATRICIA , KOLB ANDREAS , LUSSI ADRIAN , SEEMANN RAINER
Published: March 2012

International Journal of Paediatric Dentistry 2013; 23: 110–115

Background.  Rubber dam is recommended for isolating the working field during adhesive dentistry procedures; however, dentists often omit rubber dam, particularly in paediatric dentistry, supposing that it would stress the patient.

Aim.  The aim of this study was to evaluate stress parameters during a standardized dental treatment procedure performed with or without rubber dam. The treatment time was measured as a secondary outcome variable.

Design.  This study was designed as a randomized, controlled, clinical study with 72 patients (6–16 years; mean age, 11.1). During standardized fissure sealing procedures, objective parameters of stress (e.g., skin resistance, breath rate) were recorded. The operator’s stress level was measured by pulse rate. Subjective pain (patients) and stress perception (operator) were evaluated by an interview.

Results.  The breath rate was significantly (P < 0.05) lower and the skin resistance level was significantly higher during treatment with rubber dam compared to the control group. Subjective pain perception was significantly lower for the test group. The treatment time needed for the fissure sealing procedure was 12.4% less in the test group.

Conclusion.  Isolation with rubber dam caused less stress in children and adolescents compared to relative isolation with cotton rolls if applied by an experienced dentist.
Needs of adult family members of intensive care unit patients
Authors: Obringer Kelley , Hilgenberg Cheryl , Booker Kathy
Published: March 2012

Aims and objectives.  The purpose of this research was to examine current perceptions of adult family members’ needs of intensive care unit patients in the Midwest, USA. Examining family needs may help determine effectiveness of guideline implementation.

Background.  Family needs of intensive care unit patients is a topic widely researched, but to date, the application of that research to the clinical practice guidelines is limited. Family members’ of intensive care unit patients often experience stress and anxiety because of the high mortality rate of patients in intensive care. Family members are often involved with the patient’s care especially as many units have open visitation policies.

Design.  Survey.

Method.  The Critical Care Family Needs Inventory was distributed to a convenience sample of 50 family members from a Central Illinois, not‐for‐profit, 22‐bed intensive care unit in the USA.

Results.  Forty‐five adult family members returned completed questionnaires. The majority of the sample was female (66·7%), 40% were 49–64 years old. The majority of the sample of family members was spouses (36%) or adult children (36%). Eighty per cent of these family members reported they had previously visited a patient in the intensive care unit. Results of the survey revealed family members perceived assurance as the highest needs categories and support as the least important need.

Conclusions.  Findings were consistent with earlier studies identifying assurance as a very important need. After publication of clinical practice guidelines for support of the family in the patient‐centred intensive care unit, families continue to report the need for assurance.

Relevance to clinical practice.  Nurses need to give increased attention to effectively implementing clinical practice guidelines in an effort to meet family members’ needs, especially those related to assurance. Assurance may be expressed differently by various cultures.
Self‐injurious behaviour in individuals with autism spectrum disorder and intellectual disability
Authors: Richards C. , Oliver C. , Nelson L. , Moss J.
Published: March 2012

Background  Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) has been identified as a risk marker for self‐injurious behaviour. In this study we aimed to describe the prevalence, topography and correlates of self‐injury in individuals with ASD in contrast to individuals with Fragile X and Down syndromes and examine person characteristics associated with self‐injury across and within these groups.

Method  Carers of individuals with ASD (n = 149; mean age = 9.98, SD = 4.86), Fragile X syndrome (n = 123; mean age = 15.32, SD = 8.74) and Down syndrome (n = 49; mean age = 15.84, SD = 12.59) completed questionnaires relating to the presence and topography of self‐injury. Information was also gathered regarding demographic characteristics, affect, autistic behaviour, hyperactivity, impulsivity and repetitive behaviour.

Results  Self‐injurious behaviour was displayed by 50% of the ASD sample: a significantly higher prevalence than in the Down syndrome group (18.4%) but broadly similar to the prevalence in Fragile X syndrome (54.5%). Self‐injury was associated with significantly higher levels of autistic behaviour within the Down and Fragile X syndrome groups. Within the ASD group, the presence of self‐injury was associated with significantly higher levels of impulsivity and hyperactivity, negative affect and significantly lower levels of ability and speech.

Conclusions  Self‐injurious behaviour is prevalent in individuals with ASD and the presence of ASD phenomenology increases the risk of self‐injury in individuals with known genetic disorders but without a diagnosis of idiopathic autism. Person characteristics associated with self‐injury in ASD indicate a role for impaired behavioural inhibition, low levels of ability and negative affect in the development of self‐injurious behaviour.
Panmixia supports divergence with gene flow in Darwin’s small ground finch, Geospiza fuliginosa, on Santa Cruz, Galápagos Islands
Authors: GALLIGAN TOBY H. , DONNELLAN STEPHEN C. , SULLOWAY FRANK J. , FITCH ALISON J. , BERTOZZI TERRY , KLEINDORFER SONIA
Published: March 2012

The divergence‐with‐gene‐flow model of speciation has a strong theoretical basis with a growing number of plausible examples in nature, but remains hotly debated. Darwin’s finches of the Galápagos Archipelago have played an important role in our understanding of speciation processes. Recent studies suggest that this group may also provide insights into speciation via divergence with gene flow. On the island of Santa Cruz, recent studies found evidence for adaptive divergence in Darwin’s small ground finch, Geospiza fuliginosa, between ecologically contrasting arid and humid zones. Despite the short geographical distance between these zones, strong disruptive selection during low rainfall periods is expected to generate and maintain adaptive divergence. Conversely, during high rainfall periods, when disruptive selection is predicted to be weakened, population divergence in adaptive traits is expected to break down. Because periods of low and high rainfall irregularly alternate, the geographical pattern of adaptive divergence can be assumed to break down and, importantly, regenerate in situ. Here, we use microsatellite allele frequency data to assess the genetic population structure of G. fuliginosa on Santa Cruz. We sample 21 sites and four ecological zones across the island. We reject hypotheses of population substructure linked to ecological and geographical differences among sites in favour of a single panmictic population. Panmixia implies high levels of gene flow within Santa Cruz, which favours selection over genetic drift as a valid process generating phenotypic divergence in G. fuliginosa on Santa Cruz. We discuss how our findings may support classic adaptation, phenotypic plasticity, matching habitat choice or any combination of these three processes.
Arabidopsis thaliana histone deacetylase 14 (HDA14) is an α‐tubulin deacetylase that associates with PP2A and enriches in the microtubule fraction with the putative histone acetyltransferase ELP3
Authors: Tran Hue T. , Nimick Mhairi , Uhrig R. Glen , Templeton George , Morrice Nick , Gourlay Robert , DeLong Alison , Moorhead Greg B. G.
Published: March 2012

It is now emerging that many proteins are regulated by a variety of covalent modifications. Using microcystin‐affinity chromatography we have purified multiple protein phosphatases and their associated proteins from Arabidopsis thaliana. One major protein purified was the histone deacetylase HDA14. We demonstrate that HDA14 can deacetylate α‐tubulin, associates with α/β‐tubulin and is retained on GTP/taxol‐stabilized microtubules, at least in part, by direct association with the PP2A‐A2 subunit. Like HDA14, the putative histone acetyltransferase ELP3 was purified on microcystin‐Sepharose and is also enriched at microtubules, potentially functioning in opposition to HDA14 as the α‐tubulin acetylating enzyme. Consistent with the likelihood of it having many substrates throughout the cell, we demonstrate that HDA14, ELP3 and the PP2A A‐subunits A1, A2 and A3 all reside in both the nucleus and cytosol of the cell. The association of a histone deacetylase with PP2A suggests a direct link between protein phosphorylation and acetylation.
Bacterial‐ and plant‐type phosphoenolpyruvate carboxylase isozymes from developing castor oil seeds interact in vivo and associate with the surface of mitochondria
Authors: Park Joonho , Khuu Nicholas , Howard Alexander S. M. , Mullen Robert T. , Plaxton William C.
Published: March 2012

Phosphoenolpyruvate carboxylase (PEPC) from developing castor oil seeds (COS) exists as two distinct oligomeric isoforms. The typical class‐1 PEPC homotetramer consists of 107‐kDa plant‐type PEPC (PTPC) subunits, whereas the allosterically desensitized 910‐kDa class‐2 PEPC hetero‐octamer arises from the association of class‐1 PEPC with 118‐kDa bacterial‐type PEPC (BTPC) subunits. The in vivo interaction and subcellular location of COS BTPC and PTPC were assessed by imaging fluorescent protein (FP)‐tagged PEPCs in tobacco suspension‐cultured cells. The BTPC‐FP mainly localized to cytoplasmic punctate/globular structures, identified as mitochondria by co‐immunostaining of endogenous cytochrome oxidase. Inhibition of respiration with KCN resulted in proportional decreases and increases in mitochondrial versus cytosolic BTPC‐FP, respectively. The FP‐PTPC and NLS‐FP‐PTPC (containing an appended nuclear localization signal, NLS) localized to the cytosol and nucleus, respectively, but both co‐localized with mitochondrial‐associated BTPC when co‐expressed with BTPC‐FP. Transmission electron microscopy of immunogold‐labeled developing COS revealed that BTPC and PTPC are localized at the mitochondrial (outer) envelope, as well as the cytosol. Moreover, thermolysin‐sensitive BTPC and PTPC polypeptides were detected on immunoblots of purified COS mitochondria. Overall, our results demonstrate that: (i) COS BTPC and PTPC interact in vivo as a class‐2 PEPC complex that associates with the surface of mitochondria, (ii) BTPC’s unique and divergent intrinsically disordered region mediates its interaction with PTPC, whereas (iii) the PTPC‐containing class‐1 PEPC is entirely cytosolic. We hypothesize that mitochondrial‐associated class‐2 PEPC facilitates rapid refixation of respiratory CO2 while sustaining a large anaplerotic flux to replenish tricarboxylic acid cycle C‐skeletons withdrawn for biosynthesis.
The effects of Arceuthobium sichuanense infection on needles and current‐year shoots of mature and young Qinghai spruce (Picea crassifolia) trees
Authors: Xia B. , Tian C.‐M. , Luo Y.‐Q. , Liu L.‐Y. , Cairang D.‐Z. , Ma J.‐H. , Han F.‐Z.
Published: March 2012

Arceuthobium sichuanense is a hemiparasitic angiosperm that infects Qinghai spruce (Picea crassifolia Kom.) in Qinghai province, China, and causes severe damage to spruce forests in Qinghai‐Tibet Plateau. In this study, the impact of A. sichuanense infection on mature and young trees of Qinghai spruce was evaluated by examining needle and current‐year shoot morphology, needle water and nitrogen‐use efficiency (NUE) and needle nitrogen concentration. The most apparent effect of A. sichuanense infection was a significant reduction in both needle size distal to infection and current‐year shoot length in the infected branches (p < 0.001). Per cent reductions in needle and current‐year shoot length were similar between mature and young trees (58.9 vs. 56.3%; 59.7 vs. 62.9%). There was a high degree of correlation in foliar δ15N values between the dwarf mistletoe and its host trees (R2 = 0.9017, p < 0.001), while the foliar δ13C values of A. sichuanense were similar to those of infected mature and young spruce trees. The dwarf mistletoe infection also resulted in a significant decrease in host needle N concentration and δ13C values (p < 0.001). The per cent reduction in needle N concentration in young trees was nearly twice as much as that in mature trees (20.49 vs. 11.54%), while the per cent reduction in needle δ13C values was similar between young and mature trees (−0.98 vs.−1.1‰). The NUE in mature trees was not affected by A. sichuanense infection, but the NUE in young trees was increased by the infection.
Effect of different blood‐guided conditioning programmes on skeletal muscle ultrastructure and histochemistry of sport horses
Authors: Lindner A. , Dag Erginsoy S. , Kissenbeck S. , Mosen H. , Hetzel U. , Drommer W. , Chamizo V. E. , Rivero J. L. L.
Published: March 2012

The effects of three different blood‐guided conditioning programmes on ultrastructural and histochemical features of the gluteus medius muscle of 2‐year‐old sport horses were examined. Six non‐trained Haflinger horses performed three consecutive conditioning programmes of varying lactate‐guided intensities [velocities eliciting blood lactate concentrations of 1.5 (v1.5), 2.5 (v2.5) and 4 (v4) mm respectively] and durations (25 and 45 min). Each conditioning programme lasted 6 weeks and was followed by a 5‐week resting period. Pre‐, post‐ and deconditioning muscle biopsies were analysed. Although training and detraining adaptations were similar in nature, they varied significantly in magnitude among the three different conditioning programmes. Overall, the adaptations consisted in significant increases in size of mitochondria and myofibrils, as well as a hypertrophy of myofibrillar ATPase type IIA muscle fibres and a reduction in number of type IIx low‐oxidative fibres. Together, these changes are compatible with a significant improvement in both muscle aerobic capacity and muscle strength. The use of v1.5 and v2.5 as the exercise intensities for 45 min elicited more significant adaptations in muscle, whereas conditioning horses at v4 for 25 min evoked minimal changes. Most of these muscular adaptations returned towards the pre‐conditioning status after 5 weeks of inactivity. It is concluded that exercises of low or moderate intensities (in the range between v1.5 and v2.5) and long duration (45 min) are more effective for improving muscle features associated with stamina and power in sport horses than exercises of higher intensity (equivalent to v4) and shorter duration (25 min).
Neuronal subtype specification in the cerebellum and dorsal hindbrain
Authors: Hoshino Mikio
Published: March 2012

In the nervous system, there are hundreds to thousands of neuronal cell types that have morphologically, physiologically, and histochemically different characteristics and this diversity may enable us to elicit higher brain function. A better understanding of the molecular machinery by which neuron subtype specification occurs is thus one of the most important issues in brain science. The dorsal hindbrain, including the cerebellum, is a good model system to study this issue because a variety of types of neurons are produced from this region. Recently developed genetic lineage‐tracing methods in addition to gene‐transfer technologies have clarified a fate map of neurons produced from the dorsal hindbrain and accelerated our understanding of the molecular machinery of neuronal subtype specification in the nervous system.
Low‐dose clarithromycin therapy modulates CD4+ T‐cell responses in a mouse model of chronic Pseudomonas aeruginosa lung infection
Authors: DING FENG‐MING , ZHU SONG‐LEI , SHEN CE , JIANG YAN‐QUN
Published: March 2012

Background and objective:  Low‐dose clarithromycin (CAM) is widely used for the treatment of chronic respiratory infections. However, its anti‐inflammatory mechanisms have not been fully explored. As CD4+ T cells play an important role in the initiation of immune responses to infectious microorganisms, we aimed to investigate the effects of low‐dose CAM on CD4+ T‐cell responses.

Methods:  Fifty‐four BALB/c mice were randomly divided into three groups: a control group (inoculated with sterile agarose beads and treated with saline from day 7), a saline group (inoculated with Pseudomonas aeruginosa‐loaded beads and treated with saline from day 7) and a CAM group (identical to the saline group, except that saline was replaced by CAM solution). Bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) fluid cell counts, bacterial load, lung tissue histology and pulmonary CD3+CD4+ cell numbers were assessed. Levels of T helper (Th)1/Th2/Th17 cytokines and suppressor cytokines (interleukin (IL)‐10 and transforming growth factor‐β1) were analysed. Messenger RNA (mRNA) levels for transcription factors for CD4+ T‐cell subsets were determined.

Results:  The CAM group had lower BAL fluid cell counts, pathological scores and pulmonary CD3+CD4+ cell numbers compared with the saline group, whereas the bacterial load was not significantly different. Levels of Th1/Th17 cytokines and expression of a transcription factor for naturally occurring regulatory T cells (Treg) were significantly decreased in the CAM group compared with the saline group, whereas there was no significant difference in GATA‐3 mRNA expression.

Conclusions:  This study demonstrated a downregulation of Th1/Th17/naturally occurring Treg responses after treatment with low‐dose CAM in mice with chronic P. aeruginosa lung infection.
Qualitative descriptive study exploring schizophrenia and the everyday effect of medication‐induced weight gain
Authors: Vandyk Amanda Digel , Baker Cynthia
Published: March 2012

Weight gain and obesity are serious side effects of the medications used to manage psychotic disorders and successful, long‐term weight loss interventions are not yet available. One reason for this may be that current interventions are designed without consideration of the patient's perspective. The purpose of this study was to explore the subjective experience of weight and lifestyle from the perspective of people with schizophrenia. A qualitative, constructivist research design was used and conversational interviews were conducted with 18 purposefully recruited participants from an outpatient clinic at a psychiatric hospital in Eastern Ontario. Data were analysed according to the method of constant comparison and three central themes emerged: a life altering diagnosis, weight management as complex, and today's experiences shape tomorrow's outcomes. Weight management was seen as difficult yet important to the participants. The findings of this study provide insight into the views and opinions of the participants regarding weight and lifestyle and may be used to support the design of tailored heath initiatives for persons with mental illness.
Non‐glycaemic effects mediated via GLP‐1 receptor agonists and the potential for exploiting these for therapeutic benefit: focus on liraglutide
Authors: Vilsbøll T. , Garber A. J.
Published: March 2012

The glucagon‐like peptide‐1 receptor agonists (GLP‐1 RAs) liraglutide and exenatide can improve glycaemic control by stimulating insulin release through pancreatic β‐cells in a glucose‐dependent manner. GLP‐1 receptors are not restricted to the pancreas; therefore, GLP‐1 RAs cause additional non‐glycaemic effects. Preclinical and clinical trial data suggest a multitude of additional beneficial effects related to GLP‐1 RA therapy, including improvements in β‐cell function, systolic blood pressure and body weight. These effects are of a particular advantage to patients with type 2 diabetes, as most are affected by β‐cell dysfunction, obesity and hypertension. Transient gastrointestinal adverse events, such as nausea and diarrhoea, are also common. To improve gastrointestinal tolerability, an incremental dosing approach is used with liraglutide and exenatide twice daily. A potential protective role for GLP‐1 RAs in the cardiovascular and central nervous systems has been suggested from animal studies and short‐term clinical trials. These effects and other safety aspects of GLP‐1 therapy are currently being investigated in ongoing long‐term clinical studies.
Registered nurses' health in community elderly care in Sweden
Authors: Josefsson K.
Published: March 2012

JOSEFSSON K. (2012) Registered nurses' health in community elderly care in Sweden. International Nursing Review59, 409–415

Aim:  To describe registered nurses' (RNs) ratings of their work‐related health problems, sickness presence and sickness absence in community care of older people. To describe RNs' perceptions of time, competence and emotional pressure at work. To describe associations between time, knowledge and emotional pressure with RNs' perceptions of work‐related health problems, sickness presence and sickness absence.

Background:  There is a global nursing shortage. It is a challenge to provide working conditions that enable RNs to deliver quality nursing care.

Method:  A descriptive design and a structured questionnaire were used. 213 RNs in 60 care homes for older people participated, with a response rate of 62%.

Findings:  RNs' reported work‐related health problems, such as neck/back disorders, dry skin/dry mucous membranes, muscles/joints disorders, sleep disorders and headache. They had periods of fatigue/unhappiness/sadness because of their work (37%). Most of the RNs felt at times psychologically exhausted after work, with difficulties leaving their thoughts of work behind. RNs stated high sickness presence (68%) and high sickness absence (63%). They perceived high time pressure, adequate competence and emotional pressure at work. There was a weak to moderate correlation between RNs' health problems and time pressure.

Discussion:  We cannot afford a greater shortage of RNs in community care of older people. Politicians and employers need to develop a coordinated package of policies that provide a long‐term and sustainable solution with healthy workplaces.

Conclusion:  It is important to prevent RNs' work‐related health problems and time pressure at work.
Loss Aversion and Strategic Opportunism: Third‐Party Intervention’s Role in War Instigation by the Weak
Authors: Chan Steve
Published: March 2012

This paper seeks to explain the frequent phenomenon of the weaker side of an enduring rivalry instigating repeated military confrontations against a stronger foe. It builds on the proposition that when sensing they are in the domain of loss, leaders often take excessive risks in the hope of stopping or reversing their decline. This tendency to “gamble for recovery” is complemented by these leaders’ strategic opportunism, expecting and seeking foreign intervention to advance their agenda. This strategic opportunism in turn creates a moral hazard in that the prospect of foreign intervention can encourage these leaders to escalate disputes with their stronger counterpart in the first place. Therefore, interventions that prevent the stronger belligerent from crushing the weaker one and that mediate temporary truces may have a perverse effect of actually making some rivalries endure longer and the recurrence of military clashes more likely.
Double Standards in Educational Standards – Do Schools with a Disadvantaged Student Body Grade More Leniently?
Authors: Himmler Oliver , Schwager Robert
Published: March 2012

A simple model of decentralized graduation standards is presented. It is shown that a school whose students are disadvantaged on the labor market applies less demanding standards because such students have lower ability or less incentives to graduate. The model’s predictions are tested using Dutch school-level data. Since students in the Netherlands have to participate in both a central and a school specific examination, we can identify the grading policy of individual schools. We find that schools which harbor greater shares of disadvantaged students tend to set lower standards. This association is most pronounced in the track of secondary schooling that prepares for university.
Moisturizing effect of alcohol‐based hand rub containing okra polysaccharide
Authors: Kanlayavattanakul M. , Rodchuea C. , Lourith N.
Published: March 2012

Synopsis

A natural, moisturizing alcohol‐based hand rub (ABHR) containing okra (Abelmoschus esculentus) polysaccharide was formulated to reduce the dryness caused by traditional hand‐cleansing products. The ABHR developed also reduced infectious disease transmission. Preliminary evaluations of the stable natural hand hygiene preparations were conducted to determine preference and short‐term moisturizing efficacy in volunteers. Formulations contained varying amounts of gelling agent (0.5% and 0.3% w/v). Accelerated stability testing using a centrifugation assay and six heating/cooling cycles of the ABHR bases were performed. Then, okra polysaccharide (5%, 7%, 10% and 15% w/w) was incorporated into the base, and stability tests were repeated. The moisturizing okra polysaccharide was compatible with the formulations at all concentrations. All of the formulated ABHRs were stable. Sensory evaluation was conducted in 36 volunteers. The two most preferred okra ABHRs were patch‐tested in 12 volunteers; results indicated none of the preparations caused irritation. Efficacy of the most preferred moisturizing ABHR containing 0.3% gelling agent and 10% (w/v) okra extract was determined. Short‐term moisturizing efficacy of a single application was examined in 20 volunteers. The okra ABHR hydrated skin significantly better than a control ABHR (P < 0.005) at 30 min after application. Skin moisture was retained for 210 min of the observation period. Thus, the ABHR product containing moisturizing okra is safe, efficacious and possesses desirable properties. The formulation can be applied every 3 h for good hand hygiene with moisturizing efficacy.
War‐making and sense‐making: some technical reflections on an instance of ‘friendly fire’
Authors: Mair Michael , Watson Patrick G. , Elsey Chris , Smith Paul Vincent
Published: March 2012

In this paper we analyse a ‘friendly fire’ incident from the second Gulf War and the controversy which came to envelop it during a coroner's inquest in 2007. Focusing on the cockpit video of the incident that was leaked to the media during that inquest, we examine what the military and civilian investigators were involved in reconstructing: the incident as it unfolded in real time. Our analysis is grounded in a praxeological perspective that draws on and links ethnomethodological studies of work, research into ‘normal’ accidents, disasters and risks, and recent ethnographies of the military. Based on our analysis, we suggest that the accounts offered after the event by the military and civilian inquiries should be treated less as competing descriptions than different ways of problematizing particular aspects of the military–political ‘machineries’ the pilots' actions were enmeshed within.
Culture, state and varieties of capitalism: a comparative study of life insurance markets in Hong Kong and Taiwan1
Authors: Chan Cheris Shun‐ching
Published: March 2012

This article examines the interplay between local culture, the state, and economic actors' agency in producing variation across markets. I adopt a political–cultural approach to examining why life insurance has been far more popular in Taiwan than Hong Kong, despite the presence of a cultural taboo on the topic of premature death in both societies. Based on interview data and documentary references, the findings reveal that as an independent state, the Taiwanese government heavily protected domestic insurance firms during their emergence. These domestic firms adopted a market‐share approach by re‐defining the concept of life insurance to accommodate the local cultural taboo. The colonial Hong Kong government, on the other hand, adopted laissez‐faire policies that essentially favoured foreign insurance firms. When faced with the tension between local adaptation and the profitability of the business, these foreign firms chose the latter. Their reluctance to accommodate local cultures, however, resulted in a smaller market. I argue that state actions mediate who the dominant economic players are and that the nature of the dominant players affects the extent of localization. Specifically, the presence of competitive domestic players alongside transnational corporations is more likely to produce varieties of capitalism.
Why different countries manage death differently: a comparative analysis of modern urban societies1
Authors: Walter Tony
Published: March 2012

The sociology of death, dying and bereavement tends to take as its implicit frame either the nation state or a homogenous modernity. Between‐nation differences in the management of death and dying are either ignored or untheorized. This article seeks to identify the factors that can explain both similarities and differences in the management of death between different modern western nations. Structural factors which affect all modern nations include urbanization and the division of labour leading to the dominance of professionals, migration, rationality and bureaucracy, information technology and the risk society. How these sociologically familiar structural features are responded to, however, depends on national histories, institutions and cultures. Historically, key transitional periods to modernity, different in different nations, necessitated particular institutional responses in the management of dying and dead bodies. Culturally, key factors include individualism versus collectivism, religion, secularization, boundary regulation, and expressivism. Global flows of death practices depend significantly on subjugated nations' perceptions of colonialism, neo‐colonialism and modernity, which can lead to a dominant power's death practices being either imitated or rejected.
Genetic Variant R952Q in LRP8 is Associated with Increased Plasma Triglyceride Levels in Patients with Early‐Onset CAD and MI
Authors: Shen Gong‐Qing , Li Lin , Wang Qing K.
Published: March 2012

We previously identified a novel locus for plasma triglyceride (TG) levels on chromosome 1p31–32 by genome‐wide linkage analysis in the GeneQuest population with familial and premature coronary artery disease (CAD). Here we tested a hypothesis that variants in LRP8, a gene that is under the 1p31–32 linkage peak and associated with risk of familial and premature CAD and increased platelet activation, are associated with TG levels. Seven tagSNPs that cover the entire LRP8 gene were characterized in 358 GeneQuest Caucasian probands. Only SNP R952Q (rs5174) was associated with TG levels (P‐adj = 0.0016), and this finding was replicated in one other independent population of 134 patients with early‐onset myocardial infarction (males <45; females <55; P‐adj = 0.0098). TG levels were higher in the group with higher body mass index (BMI ≥ 25) than in the group with lower BMI (BMI < 25). The association was significant in the overweight group (P‐adj = 0.0029) or in the smoking group (P‐adj = 0.0004), but not in the group with normal BMI or without smoking history. These results suggest that genetic variant R952Q of LRP8 is associated with increased plasma TG levels in patients who are overweight and have premature CAD/MI and history of smoking.
Reliability of a set of protractors for direct anatomical measurements around the glenoid and humeral head rims
Authors: Amadi Hippolite O. , Fogg Quentin A. , Ugbolue Ukadike C. , Emery Roger J. H. , Bull Anthony M. J.
Published: March 2012

Functional biomechanics studies of the glenohumeral (GH) soft tissues require an understanding of their sites of bony attachment. Anatomical positions of GH capsular structures have often been quantified relative to the rims of the glenoid and humeral head (HH). The aim of this study was twofold: (1) to quantify the reliability of a set of protractors that directly fit on to the glenoid and HH rims and (2) to use this to determine direct angular position referencing of landmarks and soft tissue attachment points. Three assessors independently used the protractors to assess nine prescribed landmarks on 30 dry bone specimens (15 glenoids and 15 HHs) recording the angular positions of the structures relative to the glenoid and HH. The collected data showed high levels of validity as indicated by the protractor’s intra‐ and inter‐assessor reliabilities: 98.2 and 98.7% for the glenoid component, and 96.2 and 96.5% for the humeral component, respectively. The device could be useful in anatomical studies, description of defects and pathologies on glenohumeral articulation, and planning of scapular reconstructive surgery.
Metabolic rate, evaporative water loss and field activity in response to temperature in an ichneumonid wasp
Authors: Tomlinson S. , Phillips R. D.
Published: March 2012

High ambient temperatures can adversely affect insects through high evaporative water loss (EWL) and reduction of metabolic activity through enzyme denaturation. Establishing the relationship between the temperature at which these processes become detrimental and regulatory behaviour is critical in resolving the mechanisms by which insects cope with physiologically stressful environments. Here, we compare levels of metabolic rate and EWL measured by flow‐through respirometry with field activity in the ichneumonid wasp Lissopimpla excelsa. Metabolic rate increased to a maximum of 10.8 ± 0.4 mLCO
2.g−1.h−1 at 35°C before decreasing to 8.4 ± 0.4 mLCO2.g−1.h−1 at T
a = 40°C. EWL showed an exponential pattern of increase, with a significant increase in EWL from T
a = 12°C to T
a = 35 and 40°C. Male wasps were active in the field from T
a = 20.1 to 36.8°C (peak activity T
a = 26.5°C and relative humidity = 44.4%), though activity levels were most strongly correlated with time of day. Being active in the mornings may be advantageous in that temperatures are warm enough to maintain activity but avoid excess energy expenditure and EWL. Furthermore, food or calling females may be most abundant during this period. Based on a consensus allometric scaling relationship derived for insect resting metabolic rates, the metabolic rate of L. excelsa at T
a = 25°C was higher than predicted, as was EWL. Since the present study is the first describing the metabolic physiology of an ichneumonid wasp, it remains unclear whether this pattern is characteristic of ichneumonids in general of L. excelsa in particular.
Darkening coat colour reveals life history and life expectancy of male Thornicroft's giraffes
Authors: Berry P. S. M. , Bercovitch F. B.
Published: March 2012

Much of the information available about the life history of the giraffe, Giraffa camelopardalis, is derived from captive studies or short‐term field studies. The coat colour of male giraffes, especially the blotches, darkens with age, but no studies have systematically mapped the colour transition with chronological age based on long‐term data. We examine the value of using darkening coat colour as a biomarker of male age. We analyzed 33 years of data from 36 male Thornicroft's giraffes, G. c. thornicroftii, living in Zambia in order to document key milestones in male development. We found that the change in male pelage colouration takes an average of 1.8 years and that males are completely covered with coal‐black blotches at an average age of 9.4 years. Using lifetime data on male deaths and disappearances, combined with cross‐sectional records on coat‐colour transformation, we conclude that the average age of death among male giraffes is about 16 years old. The maximum lifespan of male giraffes is about 22 years compared with a maximum lifespan of about 28 years for female giraffes. We conclude that the possible proximate mechanisms and adaptive significance of male coat‐colour changes should be studied in more detail.
Amyloid neurotoxicity is attenuated by metallothionein: dual mechanisms at work
Authors: Kim Jong‐Heon , Nam Young‐Pyo , Jeon Sang‐Min , Han Hyung‐Soo , Suk Kyoungho
Published: March 2012

J. Neurochem. (2012) 121, 751–762.

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is a neurodegenerative disorder characterized by a progressive loss of memory and cognition. One of the hallmarks of AD is the accumulation of beta‐amyloid (Aβ). Although endoplasmic reticulum stress, mitochondrial dysfunction, and oxidative stress have been implicated in Aβ toxicity, the molecular mechanism(s) of Aβ‐induced neurotoxicity are not fully understood. In this study, we present evidence that the glia‐derived stress protein metallothionein (MT) attenuates Aβ‐induced neurotoxicity by unique mechanisms. MT expression was increased in brain astrocytes of a NSE‐APPsw transgenic mouse model of AD. Astrocyte‐derived MT protected N2a neuroblastoma cells and primary cortical neurons against Aβ toxicity with concurrent reduction of reactive oxygen species levels. MT reversed Aβ‐induced down‐regulation of Bcl‐2 and survival signaling in neuroblastoma cells. Moreover, MT inhibited Aβ‐induced proinflammatory cytokine production from microglia. The neurotoxicity of Aβ‐stimulated microglia was significantly attenuated by MT‐I. The results indicate that MT released from reactive astrocytes may antagonize Aβ neurotoxicity by direct inhibition of Aβ neurotoxicity and indirect suppression of neurotoxic microglial activation. These findings broaden the understanding of neurotoxic mechanisms of Aβ and the crosstalk between Aβ and MT in AD.
Cyanobacterial life at low O2: community genomics and function reveal metabolic versatility and extremely low diversity in a Great Lakes sinkhole mat
Authors: VOORHIES A. A. , BIDDANDA B. A. , KENDALL S. T. , JAIN S. , MARCUS D. N. , NOLD S. C. , SHELDON N. D. , DICK G. J.
Published: March 2012

Cyanobacteria are renowned as the mediators of Earth’s oxygenation. However, little is known about the cyanobacterial communities that flourished under the low‐O2 conditions that characterized most of their evolutionary history. Microbial mats in the submerged Middle Island Sinkhole of Lake Huron provide opportunities to investigate cyanobacteria under such persistent low‐O2 conditions. Here, venting groundwater rich in sulfate and low in O2 supports a unique benthic ecosystem of purple‐colored cyanobacterial mats. Beneath the mat is a layer of carbonate that is enriched in calcite and to a lesser extent dolomite. In situ benthic metabolism chambers revealed that the mats are net sinks for O2, suggesting primary production mechanisms other than oxygenic photosynthesis. Indeed, 14C‐bicarbonate uptake studies of autotrophic production show variable contributions from oxygenic and anoxygenic photosynthesis and chemosynthesis, presumably because of supply of sulfide. These results suggest the presence of either facultatively anoxygenic cyanobacteria or a mix of oxygenic/anoxygenic types of cyanobacteria. Shotgun metagenomic sequencing revealed a remarkably low‐diversity mat community dominated by just one genotype most closely related to the cyanobacterium Phormidium autumnale, for which an essentially complete genome was reconstructed. Also recovered were partial genomes from a second genotype of Phormidium and several Oscillatoria. Despite the taxonomic simplicity, diverse cyanobacterial genes putatively involved in sulfur oxidation were identified, suggesting a diversity of sulfide physiologies. The dominant Phormidium genome reflects versatile metabolism and physiology that is specialized for a communal lifestyle under fluctuating redox conditions and light availability. Overall, this study provides genomic and physiologic insights into low‐O2 cyanobacterial mat ecosystems that played crucial geobiological roles over long stretches of Earth history.
Aging brain microenvironment decreases hippocampal neurogenesis through Wnt‐mediated survivin signaling
Authors: Miranda Carlos J. , Braun Lyndsey , Jiang Yuying , Hester Mark E. , Zhang Ling , Riolo Matthew , Wang Haijuan , Rao Meghan , Altura Rachel A. , Kaspar Brian K.
Published: March 2012

Accumulating evidence suggests that adult hippocampal neurogenesis relies on the controlled and continued proliferation of neural progenitor cells (NPCs). With age, neurogenesis decreases through mechanisms that remain unclear but are believed to involve changes in the NPC microenvironment. Here, we provide evidence that NPC proliferation in the adult brain is in part regulated by astrocytes via Wnt signaling and that this cellular cross‐talk is modified in the aging brain, leading to decreased proliferation of NPCs. Furthermore, we show that astrocytes regulate the NPC cell cycle by acting on the expression levels of survivin, a known mitotic regulator. Among cell cycle genes found down‐regulated in aged NPCs, survivin was the only one that restored NPC proliferation in the aged brain. Our results provide a mechanism for the gradual loss of neurogenesis in the brain associated with aging and suggest that targeted modulation of survivin expression directly or through Wnt signaling could be used to stimulate adult neurogenesis.
Health‐related quality of life: cross‐informant agreement of father, mother, and self‐report for children and adolescents in outpatient psychotherapy treatment
Authors: Weitkamp Katharina , Daniels Judith , Rosenthal Sandra , Romer Georg , Wiegand‐Grefe Silke
Published: March 2012

Background

To study the cross‐informant agreement between father, mother harm avoidance and child rating of health‐related quality of life (HRQoL) in a psychiatric sample.

Methods

Data were obtained from 127 children and adolescents (aged 6–18) commencing outpatient psychotherapy treatment, mainly for anxiety, depressive, and externalising disorders. A total of 100 mothers, 69 fathers harm avoidance and 76 children (aged 11 years and older) filled out questionnaires. HRQoL was measured with the KIDSCREEN‐27.

Results

Cross‐informant agreement was moderate to high between parents and moderate to low between father–child and mother–child pairs. Both parents reported lower HRQoL than the children themselves. Standardised discrepancies correlated with gender, overall and internalising pathology, as well as harm avoidance to a small degree.

Conclusions

Although there was moderate‐to‐high correspondence, mother and father reports were not interchangeable. When collecting a single‐parent proxy rating on the child's HRQoL, researchers should be aware of the additional potential source of variance due to differing concordance of father and mother with the child's self‐report especially for peer relations.
Submaximal PPARγ activation and endothelial dysfunction: new perspectives for the management of cardiovascular disorders
Authors: Balakumar Pitchai , Kathuria Sonam
Published: March 2012

PPARγ activation plays an important role in glucose metabolism by enhancing insulin sensitization. PPARγ is a primary target for thiazolidinedione‐structured insulin sensitizers like pioglitazone and rosiglitazone employed for the treatment of type 2 diabetes mellitus. Additionally, PPARγ activation inhibits adhesion cascades and detrimental vascular inflammatory events. Importantly, activation of PPARγ plays a distinctive role in regulating the physiology and expression of endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) in the endothelium, resulting in enhanced generation of vascular nitric oxide. The PPARγ activation‐mediated vascular anti‐inflammatory and direct endothelial functional regulatory actions could, therefore, be beneficial in improving the vascular function in patients with atherosclerosis and hypertension with or without diabetes mellitus. Despite the disappointing cardiac side effect profile of rosiglitazone‐like PPARγ full agonists, the therapeutic potential of novel pharmacological agents targeting PPARγ submaximally cannot be ruled out. This review discusses the potential regulatory role of PPARγ on eNOS expression and activation in improving the function of vascular endothelium. We argue that partial/submaximal activation of PPARγ could be a major target for vascular endothelial functional improvement. Interestingly, newly synthesized partial agonists of PPARγ such as balaglitazone, MBX‐102, MK‐0533, PAR‐1622, PAM‐1616, KR‐62776 and SPPARγM5 are devoid of or have a reduced tendency to cause the adverse effects associated with full agonists of PPARγ. We propose that the vascular protective properties of pharmacological agents, which submaximally activate PPARγ, should be investigated. Moreover, the therapeutic opportunities of agents that submaximally activate PPARγ in preventing vascular endothelial dysfunction (VED) and VED‐associated cardiovascular disorders are discussed.