bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Do cultural factors predict mammography behaviour among Korean immigrants in the USA?
Authors: Lee Hanju , Kim Jiyun , Han Hae‐Ra
Published: November 2009

Title.  Do cultural factors predict mammography behaviour among Korean immigrants in the USA?

Aim.  This paper is a report of a study of the correlates of mammogram use among Korean American women.

Background.  Despite the increasing incidence of and mortality from breast cancer, Asian women in the United States of America report consistently low rates of mammography screening. A number of health beliefs and sociodemographic characteristics have been associated with mammogram participation among these women. However, studies systematically investigating cultural factors in relation to mammogram experience have been scarce.

Methods.  We measured screening‐related health beliefs, modesty and use of Eastern medicine in 100 Korean American women in 2006. Hierarchical logistic regression was used to examine the unique contribution of the study variables, after accounting for sociodemographic characteristics.

Findings.  Only 51% reported past mammogram use. Korean American women who had previously had mammograms were statistically significantly older and had higher perceived benefit scores than those who had not. Perceived benefits (odds ratio = 6·3, 95% confidence interval = 2·12, 18·76) and breast cancer susceptibility (odds ratio = 3·18, 95% confidence interval = 1·06, 9·59) were statistically significant correlates of mammography experience, whereas cultural factors did not correlate. Post hoc analysis showed that for women with some or good English skills, cultural factors statistically significantly correlated with health beliefs and breast cancer knowledge (P < 0·05).

Conclusion.  Nurses should consider the inclusion in culturally tailored interventions of more targeted outreach and healthcare system navigation assistance for promoting mammography screening in Korean American women. Further research is needed to unravel the interplay between acculturation, cultural factors and health beliefs related to cancer screening behaviours of Korean American women.
Communication competence within dietetics: dietitians’ and clients’ views about the unspoken dialogue – the impact of personal presentation
Authors: Cant R. P.
Published: November 2009

Background:  Although client communications are affected by clients’ assumptions about professionals’ characteristics drawn from dress attire, little is known about how this dialogue operates in dietetics. The present study aimed to describe how dietitians and their clients interpret this dialogue and to explore the implications for practice.

Methods:  A purposive quota sample of dietitians (n = 46) from 21 health services in one state of Australia and a quota of their adult patients (n = 34) were interviewed about dietitians’ nutrition education roles. Semi‐structured interviews were transcribed and identified themes developed into a questionnaire to survey Australian dietitians. Analysis used frequencies and nonparametric statistics (P <0.05). Triangulation of the results obtained from the studies revealed a strong agreement between data sources.

Results:  Dietitians’ dress attire was perceived as a key source of nonverbal communications by dietetics clients. This was recognised by 75% of the 256 dietitians who were surveyed nationally. Dietitians favoured a professional style (i.e. skirt or slacks, with top). Many clients rejected formal dress (i.e. suit, high heels) as being a potential communication barrier. Some clients viewed dietitians’ bodily size/shape as a role model. Implications of dietitians’ presentation (i.e. how you look) were important to both clients and dietitians.

Conclusion:  Dress style is implicated in nonverbal communication dialogues between the dietitian and client. As a matter of competence and to maintain congruency in communication, dietitians should be aware of their clients’ preferences for formality of dress, and conduct their attire accordingly.
Prevalence of temporomandibular disorder signs in patients with schizophrenia
Authors: GURBUZ O. , ALATAS G. , KURT E.
Published: November 2009

Summary  The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of temporomandibular disorder (TMD) signs in a group of institutionalized patients with schizophrenia. Three hundred thirty‐nine patients with schizophrenia were examined and compared with 107 age‐matched and gender‐matched control subjects. TMD signs were evaluated according to the Research Diagnostic Criteria to assess temporomandibular joint pain to palpation, limitation of maximum mouth opening, alteration of mouth opening pathway (deviation/deflection) and temporomandibular joint noises. In addition, tooth wear was recorded for the assessment of bruxism. The prevalence of any TMD signs was observed higher (P = 0·001) in the patients with schizophrenia (284/339, 83·7%) than in the controls (72/107, 67·3%). The prevalence of more than one TMD sign was also significantly higher (P = 0·03) in the patients with schizophrenia (131/339, 38·6%) than in the controls (29/107, 27·1%). Significant differences between the two groups were apparent for joint pain on palpation (P = 0·006), deflection (P = 0·006) and joint sounds (P = 0·002). Severe tooth wear was evident in 39·2% of the patients with schizophrenia compared with 21·2% in the control group (P = 0·001). The finding of the present study showed that, compared to control population, chronically hospitalized patients with schizophrenia seem to be more prone to the development of TMD signs and severe tooth wear and bruxism.
In remembrance of Lee McIntosh
Authors: Arrabaça João Daniel
Published: November 2009

Dedicated by the participants of the ‘First International AOX Symposium 2008’, Évora, Alentejo, Portugal: www.aox2008.uevora.pt
Distribution and severity of damage by Cryphonectria parasitica in the chestnut stands in Guilan province, Iran
Authors: Ghezi E. , Khodaparast S. A. , Zare R.
Published: November 2009

Chestnut blight caused by Cryphonectria parasitica has recently been reported from Guilan province, the only region with natural chestnut (Castanea sativa) stands in Iran. During the past few years, chestnut stands in Iran have been seriously threatened by the fungus, incidence of the disease is increasing and vast canopies are reduced to sprouts. As yet, there is no report on the disease distribution and severity in this region. Six sites from three main growing regions of chestnut in Guilan province were selected for investigation. We report occurrence and evaluation of the damage of the disease caused by C. parasitica. To evaluate the scale of damage, the investigated trees were classified into six categories based on the degree of crown damage, the number of canker wounds and the presence of the fungus. Index of health condition was calculated for all sites. During this study, a total of 250 isolates of Cryphonectria species were obtained, of which 232 isolates were C. parasitica and 18 were Cryphonectria radicalis. Castanea parasitica was observed in all regions. Index of health condition was scored from 0 to 6 with 0 being disease free and six being the most severe infection. Index results in the investigated sites varied between 0.69–5.45 and 0.93–5.55 for years 2006 and 2007, respectively. The highest damage was found in Doran (IH = 5.55), which is located some 100 km away from Shahbalutmahalleh, the site with lowest damage (IH = 0.93). This is the first extended report on aspects of chestnut blight in Iran.
Levels of encapsulation and melanization in Galleria mellonella (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae) parasitized and envenomated by Pimpla turionellae (Hymenoptera: Ichneumonidae)
Authors: Uçkan F. , Er A. , Ergin E.
Published: November 2009

The endoparasitic wasp Pimpla turionellae L. (Hymenoptera: Ichneumonidae) injects its pupal host with venom during oviposition. Venom from P. turionellae has previously been shown to contain a mixture of biologically active components, which display potent paralytic, cytotoxic and cytolytic effects towards lepidopteran and dipteran hosts. This study was undertaken to investigate if parasitism and/or envenomation by P. turionellae affects the encapsulation and melanization responses of its host Galleria mellonella L. (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae) in larval and pupal stages. Analysis of the effects of venom on encapsulation and melanization of the Sephadex A‐25 beads revealed that the number of beads strongly encapsulated and melanized were reduced by more than 50% at 4 and 24 h post‐venom injection into pupae. Injection of a lethal dose of venom (0.5 venom reservoir equivalent) in the last instar larvae was sufficient to reduce the ability of haemocytes to encapsulate the beads by more than 50% at 4 h post‐injection. Similar results were also obtained when beads were recovered from parasitized pupae indicating that parasitization by P. turionellae suppressed haemocyte‐mediated encapsulation in G. mellonella. We found that the cellular defence reactions occur more rapidly in larvae compared with pupae of G. mellonella, indicating the higher susceptibility of pupal haemocytes to parasitism and venom injection.
Spontaneous animal model, ddY mouse, for studying the pathogenesis and treatment in patients with immunoglobulin A nephropathy
Authors: TOMINO YASUHIKO
Published: November 2009

Immunoglobulin (Ig)A nephropathy has the highest incidence among the various forms glomerulonephritis in the world. The initiating and progressive factors in patients with IgA nephropathy are still obscure. Although there is no specific treatment for patients with IgA nephropathy at present, more clinical trials of new treatments are warranted for such patients. Therefore, it is necessary to clarify those factors and to develop more effective drugs using a spontaneous animal model, the ddY mouse, in the future.
Impact of laparoscopic surgery on the long‐term outcomes for patients with rectal cancer
Authors: Kim Jun‐Gi , Heo Youn‐Jung , Son Gyung‐Mo , Lee Yoon‐Suk , Lee In‐Kyu , Suh Young‐Jin , Cho Hyeon‐Min , Chun Chung‐Soo
Published: November 2009

Background:  This 20‐year retrospective study compared the results of laparoscopic surgery with open surgery for patients with rectal cancer to evaluate the impact of laparoscopic surgery on long‐term oncological outcomes for rectal cancer.

Methods:  We analysed survival data collected over 20 years for patients with rectal cancer (n= 407) according to surgical methods and tumour stage between those treated with laparoscopic surgery (n= 272) and those with open surgery (n= 135). Clinical factors were analysed to ascertain possible risk factors that might have been associated with survival from and recurrence of rectal cancer. A multivariate analysis was applied by using Cox's regression model to determine the impact of laparoscopic surgery on long‐term oncological outcomes.

Results:  Overall survival, disease‐specific survival and disease‐free survival rates were statistically higher in the laparoscopic group than in the open‐surgery group. The incidence of local recurrence in the laparoscopic group (7.9%; 95% confidence intervals (CI), 4.2–11.5) was significantly lower than that for the open‐surgery group (30.2%; 95% CI, 21.0–39.3; P < 0.001). By using a multivariate analysis, laparoscopic surgery for rectal cancer appeared not to be an independent factor for disease‐specific survival or disease‐free survival. However, the laparoscopic surgery was an independent factor associated with reduced local recurrence (Hazard ratio (HR), 3.408; 95% CI, 1.890–6.149; P < 0.001).

Conclusion:  Laparoscopic surgery did not adversely affect the long‐term oncological outcome for patients with rectal cancer.
Overexpression of GAP‐43 modifies the distribution of the receptors for myelin‐associated growth‐inhibitory proteins in injured Purkinje axons
Authors: Foscarin Simona , Gianola Sara , Carulli Daniela , Fazzari Pietro , Mi Sha , Tamagnone Luca , Rossi Ferdinando
Published: November 2009

Neurons with enhanced intrinsic growth capabilities can elongate their axons into non‐permissive territories, but the mechanisms that enable the outgrowing processes to overcome environmental inhibition are largely unknown. To address this issue, we examined adult mouse Purkinje cells that overexpress the axonal growth‐associated protein GAP‐43. After injury, these neurons exhibit sprouting along the intracortical neuritic course and at the severed stump in the white matter. To determine whether GAP‐43‐overexpressing Purkinje cells are responsive to extrinsic inhibitory cues, we investigated the content and subcellular localization of major receptors for myelin‐associated inhibitory proteins, PlexinB1 and the Nogo receptor (NgR) with the related co‐receptors LINGO‐1 and p75. Expression of these molecules, estimated by measuring perikaryal immunostaining intensity and Western blot, was not different in wild‐type or transgenic mice, and it was not overtly modified after axotomy. Following injury, however, the content of PlexinB1 was significantly reduced in GAP‐43‐overexpressing neurites. Furthermore, in the same axons the distribution of both PlexinB1 and NgR was altered, being inverse to that of GAP‐43. Labelling for the two receptors was conspicuously reduced on the axonal surface and it was almost undetectable in the outgrowing sprouts, which showed strong GAP‐43 immunoreactivity. These observations indicate that although GAP‐43 overexpression does not modify the expression of receptors for myelin‐associated inhibitory factors, it interferes with their subcellular localization and exposure on the neuritic membrane. Therefore, GAP‐43 promotes axon growth by multiple synergistic mechanisms that potentiate the intrinsic motility of the elongating processes, while reducing their sensitivity to environmental inhibition.
The role of adiponectin in the pathogenesis and treatment of non‐alcoholic fatty liver disease
Authors: Polyzos Stergios A. , Kountouras Jannis , Zavos Christos , Tsiaousi Eleni
Published: November 2009

Non‐alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is recognized as the most common type of chronic liver disease in Western countries and the leading cause of cryptogenic cirrhosis. Insulin resistance (IR) is a key factor in the pathogenesis of NAFLD, the latter being considered as the hepatic component of IR or metabolic syndrome (MetS). Although the pathogenesis of NAFLD is not fully elucidated, a complex interaction between adipokines and cytokines produced by adipocytes and/or inflammatory cells infiltrating adipose tissue appears to play a crucial role in MetS and NAFLD.

Adiponectin is the most abundant and adipose‐specific adipokine. In the liver, adiponectin acts through the activation of 5‐AMP‐activated protein kinase and peroxisome proliferator‐activated receptor‐α pathways and inhibition of toll‐like receptor‐4 mediated signalling. There is an evidence that adiponectin decreases hepatic and systematic IR and attenuates liver inflammation and fibrosis. Adiponectin generally predicts steatosis grade and severity of NAFLD, but it remains to be addressed to what extent this is a direct effect or related to the presence of more severe IR. Although there is no proven pharmacotherapy for the treatment of NAFLD, recent therapeutic strategies have focused on the indirect upregulation of adiponectin through the administration of various therapeutic agents and/or lifestyle modifications. Weight loss, through diet, lifestyle changes and/or medications including orlistat, sibutramine, rimonabant or bariatric surgery, increase adiponectin and may improve liver histology. Insulin sensitizers, including pioglitazone and rosiglitazone, and lipid‐lowering agents, including statins and fibrates, also upregulate adiponectin and ameliorate liver histology. The wider use of new treatment approaches appears to signal the dawn of a new era in the management of NAFLD.

In this adiponectin‐focused review, the pathogenetic role and the potential therapeutic benefits of adiponectin in NAFLD are systematically analysed.
Negotiation of Trinidadian identity in ragga soca music
Authors: LEUNG GLENDA ALICIA E.
Published: November 2009

ABSTRACT:  In the late 1990s, a new musical genre emerged in Trinidad called ragga soca. Ragga soca is described as the product of blending Trinidad's indigenous soca music with Jamaican dancehall. One peculiarity of ragga soca is the borrowing of Jamaican Creole English phonological features into the performance genre. Initially, there was much opposition to this genre as it challenged notions of Trinidadian identity and self. This paper considers the linguistic innovativeness of ragga soca artists, in particular, their use of Jamaican Creole English phonological borrowings, demonstrating that they have not only created a new performance genre, but have used Jamaican Creole English to mediate their Trinidadian identity.
Why Thais write to other Thais in English
Authors: GLASS TOM
Published: November 2009

ABSTRACT:  This study, incorporating survey and interview data, investigates the English writing habits of graduates of a bachelor's degree program in English at a public university in Thailand. Survey data show that the majority of the former students who responded (N = 104) write in English regularly, and they correspond with people in Inner, Outer, and Expanding Circle countries − but more of them write in English to other Thais than to people of any other nationality. Half of the interviewees (N = 14) said one reason they write to other Thais in English rather than in Thai is that their computers or software programs are not compatible with Thai; other reasons given were that they cannot type in Thai, their writing would be read by both Thais and people who could not read Thai, that they can express themselves more directly in English, and that they simply want to make use of their English ability. The interviewees were divided in their feelings about whether they felt more comfortable writing in English to other Thais or to people who are not Thai. The data support claims about the importance and widespread use of English among users in contexts, both international and intranational, that lie beyond the Inner Circle.
Thanking responders in Cameroon English
Authors: OUAFEU YVES TALLA SANDO
Published: November 2009

ABSTRACT: An analysis of authentic or genuine interactions among Cameroon English speakers reveals that conversational routines in this variety of English differ a good deal from those obtained in other varieties of English, non‐native varieties of English inclusive, and more specifically in native varieties of English. This paper looks at ‘thanking responders’ in Cameroon English speech. The examination of real conversational exchanges between many Cameroon English (CamE) speakers and myself between October 2002 and July 2003 demonstrates that speakers of English in Cameroon use a wide array of expressions to acknowledge thanking, ranging from no acknowledgements at all, namely absolute silence, to such expressions as thank you, thank you too, for nothing, mm, yes, all right, ok and so on which are not very common or attested in native varieties of English. In other words, these expressions which are widespread in Cameroon are not heard too often in other varieties of English while speakers acknowledge thanking. Pragmatically, it is suggested that these thanking responders in CamE somewhat reflect the cultural values of Cameroonians who, in addition to English, speak other African local languages in which thanking and thanking responders are not necessarily similar to those in English. From a pedagogical viewpoint, the paper proposes that the native English forms of this aspect of daily interaction be taught to CamE speakers in the event of cross‐cultural communication and also strongly advocates that local or Cameroonian forms not be considered substandard but introduced in the school curriculum and accepted as appropriate for the local or regional variety.
‘The Dining Room Should Be the Man's Paradise, as the Drawing Room Is the Woman's’: Gender and Middle‐Class Domestic Space in England, 1850–1910
Authors: Hamlett Jane
Published: November 2009

In the middle‐class home in late nineteenth‐century England, drawing rooms, morning rooms and boudoirs became increasingly associated with women, while dining rooms, studies and smoking rooms were viewed as male spaces. Historians have linked this to the exclusion of women from social power and a male ‘flight from domesticity’. This article questions these interpretations and explores gendered space through advice manuals, inventories and sale catalogues, and autobiographies. While the notion that domestic space should be divided between men and women had considerable cultural purchase, the ways in which this should occur were subject to dispute and limited by the practical contingencies of everyday living. In homes where gendered material culture was present, it exerted a powerful influence on childhood experience and the formation of adult identities.
Humanitarian aid beyond “bare survival”: Social movement responses to xenophobic violence in South Africa
Authors: ROBINS STEVEN
Published: November 2009

In this article, I investigate responses to the humanitarian crisis that emerged following the May 2008 xenophobic violence against South African nonnationals that resulted in 62 deaths and the displacement of well over 30,000 people. I focus specifically on how a South African AIDS activist movement, the Treatment Action Campaign (TAC) and its partners, Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF—Doctors Without Borders) and the AIDS Law Project (ALP), translated a particular style and strategy of AIDS activism into legal, medical, humanitarian, and political responses to the massive population displacement. The TAC provided relief to displaced people in the form of basic needs, such as food, clothes, and blankets, as well as legal aid, and it engaged in activism that promoted the rights of the refugees. I investigate how the ideas and practices of global agencies such as the United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR) were deployed and reinterpreted by TAC activists. I also examine how TAC activists involved in assisting the refugees drew on a global humanitarian assemblage of categories, legal definitions, norms and standards, and procedures and technologies that went beyond the simple management of “bare life.” TAC's shift from fighting for antiretroviral drugs (ARVs) to fighting for refugees' rights reveals a “politics of life” that spans multiple issues, networks, and constituencies. It is also a politics that, at times, strategically deploys standardized bureaucratic logics and biopolitical techniques of humanitarian aid.
Localization of Clinical Syndromes Using DWI: Two Examples of the “Capsular” Warning Syndrome
Authors: Olieveira‐Filho Jamary , Ay Hakan , Koroshetz Walter J. , Buonanno Ferdinando S.
Published: November 2009

The capsular warning syndrome (CWS) is a subtype of transient ischemic attack characterized by its recurrent nature, absence of cortical signs, and high probability of early capsular stroke. Currently, standard imaging techniques have identified only internal capsule lesions in this entity. The authors present 2 cases with an otherwise typical CWS in whom a brainstem stroke was detected by diffusion‐weighted imaging (DWI). DWI's ability to differentiate between acute and chronic infarcts may assist in more accurate localization of clinical syndromes.
Behavioral responses of nesting female dark‐eyed juncos Junco hyemalis to hetero‐ and conspecific passerine preen oils
Authors: Whittaker Daniellr J. , Reichard Dustin G. , Dapper Amy L. , Ketterson Ellen D.
Published: November 2009

Several studies have suggested a greater role for olfactory cues in avian social interactions than previously recognized, but few have explicitly investigated the effect of odor on parental behavior. We present results from a preliminary study in which we applied hetero‐ and conspecific preen gland secretions, which are known to contain volatile compounds, to the nests and eggs of incubating female dark‐eyed juncos Junco hyemalis. The responses to these two conditions were compared to the responses of females whose nests were treated with their own preen oil as a control condition, and to females whose nests were treated with the vehicle only. We found that females significantly reduced incubation bout length, a form of parental care, in response to alien secretions, more so if they came from a heterospecific than a conspecific. Females did not reduce incubation bout length in response to their own preen oil or to a vehicle‐only control. These results suggest that odors in the nest may influence avian parental care. However, the behavioral change was only temporary and had no effect on later hatching success. In our study population, brood parasitism by brown‐headed cowbirds is common, but resulting nest abandonment is rare; juncos are frequently able to successfully breed even with cowbird nestlings in their nests. Thus, we suggest that more extreme behavioral responses to alien odor, such as nest abandonment or egg ejection, may not be adaptive and should not be expected.
SHORT COMMUNICATION: Increased Expression of Glutathione by Estradiol, Tumor Necrosis Factor‐Alpha, and Interleukin 1‐Beta in Endometrial Stromal Cells
Authors: Lee Sa Ra , Kim Sung Hoon , Lee Hoi Woul , Kim Young‐Hoon , Chae Hee Dong , Kim Chung‐Hoon , Kang Byung Moon
Published: November 2009

Problem  The intracellular antioxidant system, based on glutathione (GSH), plays a key role in endometrial detoxification reactions and has been proposed to be involved in the pathogenesis endometriosis. This study was designed to evaluate whether estradiol (E2) and proinflammatory cytokines have any effects on expression of glutathione in endometrial stromal cells (ESCs).

Method of study  Glutathione levels were measured utilizing high‐performance liquid chromatography following in vitro culture and treatment of ESCs with estradiol, tumor necrosis factor‐alpha (TNF‐α) and interleukin 1‐beta (IL‐1β).

Results  The GSH level in E2 (10−8 m) treatment group was significantly higher than in the control group at 48 h (P < 0.05). In vitro treatment of ESCs with TNF‐α 10 ng/mL as well as E2 (10−8 m) plus TNF‐α 10 ng/mL for 48 hr also led to a significant increase in GSH level (P < 0.05; P < 0.05, respectively). Both IL‐1β 10 ng/mL and E2 (10−8 m) plus IL‐1β 10 ng/mL for 48 hr increased GSH level significantly (P < 0.05; P < 0.05, respectively) as well.

Conclusions  These findings might suggest that increased production of estradiol and proinflammatory cytokines in the peritoneal cavity possibly leads to the establishment of endometriosis through increased level of GSH.
Progressive brain changes in schizophrenia: a 1-year follow-up study of diffusion tensor imaging
Authors: Ota Miho , Obu Satoko , Sato Noriko , Mizukami Katsuyoshi , Asada Takashi
Published: November 2009

Objective:

Recent cross-sectional studies suggest that brain changes in schizophrenia are progressive during the course of the disorder. However, it remains unknown whether this is a global process or whether some brain areas are affected to a greater degree. The aim of this study was to examine the longitudinal brain changes in patients with chronic older schizophrenia by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).

Methods:

Three-dimensional (3D) T1-weighted and diffusion tensor (DT) MRI were performed twice on each of 16 chronic older schizophrenia patients (mean age = 58.1 ± 6.7 years ) with an interval of 1 year between imaging sessions. To clarify the longitudinal morphological and white matter changes, volume data and normalised diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) metrics were compared between the first and follow-up studies using a paired t-test.

Results:

Focal cortical volume loss was observed in the left prefrontal lobe and anterior cingulate on volumetric study. In addition, DTI metrics changed significantly at the bilateral posterior superior temporal lobes, left insula, genu of the corpus callosum and anterior cingulate.

Conclusion:

There are ongoing changes in the brains of schizophrenic patients during the course of the illness. Discrepancies between volume data and DTI metrics may indicate that the pattern of progressive brain changes varies according to brain region.
Two Is Not Always Better Than One
Authors: Keren Gideon , Schul Yaacov
Published: November 2009

Over the past two decades, there has been an upsurge in theoretical frameworks alluding to the existence of two different processing systems that supposedly operate according to different rules. This article critically examines the scientific advance offered by these theories (in particular advances in the domains of reasoning, decision making, and social cognition) and questions their theoretical coherence as well as the evidence for their existence. We scrutinize the conceptual underpinnings of two-system models and explicate the assumptions underlying these models to see whether they are reasonable. We also evaluate the empirical paradigms used to validate two-system models and ponder about their explanatory strength and predictive power. Given the popularity of these models, we discuss the appeal of two-system theories and suggest potential reasons for their prevalence. We comment on the potential costs associated with these models and allude to the desired nature of potential alternatives. We conclude that two-system models currently provide little scientific advance, and we encourage researchers to adopt more rigorous conceptual definitions and employ more stringent criteria for testing the empirical evidence in support for two-system theories.
Sex Differences in Variability for Cognitive Measures
Authors: Turkheimer Eric , Halpern Diane F.
Published: November 2009

Theories about the origin of cognitive sex differences must address differences in three portions of ability distributions: low-tail variability, high-tail variability, and mean values. In addition, genetic theories must provide evidence that these three types of differences are (at least in large part) caused by alleles that are located on the X chromosome. It is well established that there are more mentally retarded males than females, and this disparity is attributable to genes located on the X chromosome. By contrast, there are no known “intelligence genes” that can provide a parallel explanation for differences in variability in the high ability tail of distributions. Mean differences between males and females also defy any X-linked hypothesis about average intelligence because females and males excel on different cognitive measures. Thus, we conclude that X-linked genetic explanations of cognitive sex differences can only be substantiated as a causal explanation for the excess of males diagnosed with mental retardation.
A Kinetic Study of the Photodynamic Effect on Tryptophan Methyl Ester and Tryptophan Octyl Ester in DOPC Vesicles
Authors: Posadaz Ariana , Correa N. Mariano , Biasutti M. Alicia , García Norman A.
Published: November 2009

The photodynamic effect on tryptophan methyl ester (trpME) and tryptophan octyl ester (trpOE), using the O

2

(

1
Δg)‐photosensitizers Rose Bengal (RB) and Perinaphthenone (PN) has been studied in large unilamellar vesicles (LUVs) of the phospholipid 1,2‐di‐oleoyl‐sn‐glycero‐3‐phosphatidylcholine (DOPC) by stationary photolysis and time‐resolved methods. This work reports on the influence of both the site (O2(1Δg)) generation and the location of the tryptophan derivatives (trpD), on the photo‐oxidation process in a compartmentalized system. The apparent rate constant values for chemical quenching of O2(1Δg) by trpOE (kr,app), was higher in vesicles than in water. Also, the ratio between apparent reactive and overall rate constant values for the deactivation of O2(1Δg) (kr,app/kt,app), increases in vesicles as compared with water, when the oxidative species is generated in the lipidic region or at the interface. Nevertheless, this quotient is lower than the corresponding value in water when O2(1Δg) is generated in the aqueous pseudophase. For trpME, the kr,app/kt,appvalues in vesicles and in water are quite similar, confirming the fact that trpME is located in the water pseudophase. Results are discussed in terms of relative protection against O2(1Δg) attack in a microheterogeneous medium as compared with water.
Gaps in the ARB Knowledge Base: Are ARBs Effective Anti–Atrial Fibrillation Agents?
Authors: Kowey Peter
Published: November 2009

The impact of atrial fibrillation (AF) on the overall health of the patient is underestimated by many health care practitioners. Aging is the most important pathogenetic factor for this disease and, with the aging of the population, AF will soon reach epidemic levels. Although the surface electrocardiograph indicates the presence of this arrhythmia, there are numerous mechanisms that could be causing it. Therefore, the clinician has to choose which intervention might be best. However, currently available therapeutics, both pharmacologic and nonpharmacologic, are inadequate. This paper will discuss the clinical impact of AF, its various treatment options, how inhibitors of the renin‐angiotensin‐aldosterone system (RAAS) can impact atrial electrophysiology, and therapeutic evidence to support the use of RAAS modulation in AF.
Viral Glycosphingolipids Induce Lytic Infection and Cell Death in Marine Phytoplankton
Authors: Vardi Assaf , Van Mooy Benjamin A. S. , Fredricks Helen F. , Popendorf Kimberly J. , Ossolinski Justin E. , Haramaty Liti , Bidle Kay D.
Published: November 2009

The Death of Cocco

Emiliania huxleyi
is a coccolithophore, a class of unicellular phytoplankton that forms vast blooms mediating the oceanic carbon cycle through shedding of its calcium carbonate scales.
E. huxleyi
is routinely infected and killed by lytic viruses that can abruptly halt a bloom.

Vardi
et al.

(p.
861
) have found that in
E. huxleyi
strains that are sensitive or resistant to infection, a sphingolipid-based “arms race” appears to regulate cell fate during host-virus interactions. The lipid also serves as a biomarker for active infection that may help to quantify the role and activity of viruses and virus-mediated processes in the oceans. This information will help in assessing the biogeochemical impact of these plankton species.
Evolution of the End of
Origin
Authors: Nickalls R. W. D.
Published: November 2009

Three ancestral texts and the final wording of the last lines of Darwin's
Origin
.
Court Orders Stanford Expert to Surrender Manuscript
Authors: Kean Sam
Published: November 2009

A Stanford University professor is fighting to keep his unpublished book manuscript out of the hands of tobacco company R.J. Reynolds, which subpoenaed it after he testified as an expert witness for smokers who are suing the company.
On the Origin of Religion
Authors: Culotta Elizabeth
Published: November 2009

How and when did religion arise? In the 11th essay in
Science
's series in honor of the Year of Darwin, Elizabeth Culotta explores the human propensity to believe in unseen deities.
Too much of a good thing? Hybrid necrosis as a by-product of plant immune system diversification
Authors: Bomblies Kirsten
Published: November 2009

Plants defend themselves against their enemies with an impressive arsenal of physical barriers, surveillance and defense proteins, enzymes, and toxic chemicals. Many different molecules are involved in the detection of invaders, suggesting that pathogen pressure selects for a broad array of defense strategies and a high diversity of recognition specificities in host species. Recent results in plants, however, show that immune system diversification can also have negative consequences; epistatic interactions among divergent immune system components can cause hybrid necrosis, a form of genetic incompatibility. This type of hybrid failure is frequently lethal, and characterized by the widespread induction of programmed cell death leading to tissue necrosis. In characterized examples, this is caused by hyperactivation of defense responses. Both the prevalence of hybrid necrosis in diverse plant taxa, and the growing indication that it may arise as a by-product of adaptation to the biotic environment, emphasize that it is likely a general factor in plant evolution. Since hybrid necrosis negatively impacts the progeny of certain crosses, divergence of the plant immune system may indirectly affect gene flow among populations, and perhaps contribute to the establishment or maintenance of species barriers.
Towards a Combined Approach to Metadata in Corporate Knowledge Management: A Case Study of GE Healthcare
Authors: Mu Xiangming , Jordan Jeanette , Jeong Wooseob , du Plessis Jacques
Published: November 2009

Through interviews with representatives from GE Healthcare, we determined that a central problem of their current knowledge management system is users' inability to effectively retrieve the documents they need in order to carry out the everyday business activities of the corporation. We propose a three-pronged approach to resolving the problem, from a user-, data-, and system-centred perspective. From the users' perspective, we conducted user-based usability studies to confirm and identify the key problem. For our data-centred approach, we developed a new Dublin Core-compatible metadata schema that has the following four key characteristics: compatibility with existing practices, specificity to the corporation's needs, simplicity to facilitate easy adoption and flexibility to evolve as the corporation grows and changes. From a system-centred perspective, we developed a new search interface for GE Healthcare that incorporates our proposed metadata schema to improve the effectiveness of the information search.
Liver fibrosis causes downregulation of miRNA-150 and miRNA-194 in hepatic stellate cells, and their overexpression causes decreased stellate cell activation
Authors: Venugopal Senthil K. , Jiang Joy , Kim Tae-Hun , Li Yong , Wang Si-Si , Torok Natalie J. , Wu Jian , Zern Mark A.
Published: November 2009

Activation of hepatic stellate cells (HSC) results in their proliferation and in the secretion of extracellular matrix (ECM) proteins, which leads to hepatic fibrosis. microRNAs (miRNAs) have been shown to regulate various cell functions, such as proliferation, differentiation, and apoptosis. Hence, we have analyzed the miRNAs that were differentially expressed in HSC isolated from sham-operated and bile duct-ligated rats. Expression of two miRNAs, miRNA-150 and miRNA-194, was reduced in HSC isolated from fibrotic rats compared with sham-operated animals. These two miRNAs were overexpressed in LX-2 cells, and their ability to inhibit cell proliferation, the expression of smooth muscle α-actin (SMA), a marker for activation, and collagen type I, a marker for ECM secretion, was determined. Overexpression of these two miRNAs resulted in a significant inhibition of proliferation ( P < 0.05) and reduced SMA and collagen I levels compared with either untreated cells or nonspecific miRNA-expressing cells. Next, the protein targets of these two miRNAs were found using bioinformatics approaches. C-myb was found to be a target for miRNA-150, and rac 1 was found to be one of the targets for miRNA-194. Therefore, we studied the expression of these two proteins by overexpressing these two miRNAs in LX-2 cells and found that overexpression of miRNA-150 and miRNA-194 resulted in a significant inhibition of c-myb and rac 1 expression, respectively. We conclude that both miRNA-150 and miRNA-194 inhibit HSC activation and ECM production, at least in part, via inhibition of c-myb and rac 1 expression.
Rac1 mediates NaCl-induced superoxide generation in the thick ascending limb
Authors: Silva Guillermo B. , Garvin Jeffrey L.
Published: November 2009

Superoxide (O2−) produced by NADPH oxidase regulates Na absorption and renal hemodynamics. Increased NaCl in the thick ascending limb (TAL) stimulates O2− generation. However, we do not know whether physiological changes in NaCl concentration augment O2− generation, nor do we know the mediator(s) involved. In other cells, Rac1, a regulatory subunit of NADPH oxidase, is activated by elevated NaCl. We hypothesized that increasing luminal NaCl within the physiological range activates Rac1 and NADPH oxidase and, thereby, increases O2− production. We increased NaCl from 10 to 57 mM in medullary TAL suspensions and used lucigenin to measure O2− generation and Western blot to measure Rac1 activity. Increasing NaCl stimulated O2− generation from 1.41 ± 0.16 to 2.71 ± 0.30 nmol O2−·min−1·mg protein−1 ( n = 6, P < 0.05). This increase was blocked by the Na-K-2Cl cotransporter inhibitor furosemide and the NADPH oxidase inhibitor apocynin. To examine the role of Rac1 in NaCl-induced O2− production, we measured Rac1 translocation by Western blot. When we added NaCl, Rac1 in the particulate fraction increased from 6.8 ± 0.8 to 11.7 ± 2.4% of total Rac1 ( n = 7, P < 0.05). Then we measured O2− generation in the presence and absence of the Rac1 inhibitor. In the absence of the Rac1 inhibitor, NaCl increased O2− generation from 1.07 ± 0.24 to 2.02 ± 0.49 nmol O2−·min−1·mg protein−1, and this increase was completely blocked by the inhibitor. Similarly, in vivo treatment of TALs with adenovirus expressing dominant-negative Rac1 decreased NaCl-induced O2− generation by 60% compared with control (0.33 ± 0.04 vs. 0.81 ± 0.17 nmol O2−·min−1·mg protein−1, n = 6, P < 0.05). We concluded that physiological increases in NaCl stimulate TAL O2− generation by activating Rac1.
Magnetic Resonance Imaging of Mesenchymal Stem Cells Homing to Pulmonary Metastases Using Biocompatible Magnetic Nanoparticles
Authors: Loebinger Michael R. , Kyrtatos Panagiotis G. , Turmaine Mark , Price Anthony N. , Pankhurst Quentin , Lythgoe Mark F. , Janes Sam M.
Published: November 2009

The ability of mesenchymal stem cells (MSC) to specifically home to tumors has suggested their potential use as a delivery vehicle for cancer therapeutics. MSC integration into tumors has been shown in animal models using histopathologic techniques after animal sacrifice. Tracking the delivery and engraftment of MSCs into human tumors will need in vivo imaging techniques. We hypothesized that labeling MSCs with iron oxide nanoparticles would enable in vivo tracking with magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Human MSCs were labeled in vitro with superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles, with no effect on differentiation potential, proliferation, survival, or migration of the cells. In initial experiments, we showed that as few as 1,000 MSCs carrying iron oxide nanoparticles can be detected by MRI one month after their coinjection with breast cancer cells that formed subcutaneous tumors. Subsequently, we show that i.v.- injected iron-labeled MSCs could be tracked in vivo to multiple lung metastases using MRI, observations that were confirmed histologically. This is the first study to use MRI to track MSCs to lung metastases in vivo. This technique has the potential to show MSC integration into human tumors, allowing early-phase clinical studies examining MSC homing in patients with metastatic tumors. [Cancer Res 2009;69(23):8862–7]
Ibuprofen Modulates NF-ĸB Activity but Not IL-8 Production in Cystic Fibrosis Respiratory Epithelial Cells
Authors: Dauletbaev Nurlan , Lam Joyce , Eklove Daniel , Iskandar Michele , Lands Larry C.
Published: November 2009

Background: High-dose ibuprofen is clinically effective in cystic fibrosis (CF); however, its molecular mechanisms are poorly understood. Objective: To test the hypothesis that clinically relevant concentrations of ibuprofen suppress activation of nuclear factor (NF)-ĸB and thus down-regulate stimulated interleukin (IL)-8 production in CF respiratory epithelial cells. Methods: The majority of experiments were conducted in CFTE29o– cells (F508del-mutated CF transmembrane regulator, CFTR). Key experiments were confirmed in CFBE41o– cells (F508del-mutated CFTR) and 1HAEo– cells (wild-type CFTR). NF-ĸB and IL-8 were stimulated with tumour necrosis factor (TNF)-α or IL-1β. NF-ĸB and IL-8 suppression by ibuprofen (480 µM) was compared to dexamethasone (5 nM). Results: Both TNF-α and IL-1β activated NF-ĸB and stimulated IL-8 production. Both ibuprofen and dexamethasone demonstrated comparably modest suppression of NF-ĸB transcriptional activity. However, ibuprofen had no effect on stimulated IL-8 mRNA and protein. By contrast, dexamethasone significantly down-regulated stimulated IL-8 mRNA and protein. Conclusions: The present data do not support the hypothesis that ibuprofen down-regulates IL-8 production in response to TNF-α and IL-1β in CF respiratory epithelium. Suppression of NF-ĸB transcriptional activity does not discriminate between anti-inflammatory drugs with or without effects on IL-8 production. We speculate that NF-ĸB-independent mechanisms may be responsible for anti-IL-8 effects of dexamethasone.
Attentional Bias in Later Stages of Emotional Information Processing in Female Adolescents with Borderline Personality Disorder
Authors: von Ceumern-Lindenstjerna Ina-Alexandra , Brunner Romuald , Parzer Peter , Mundt Christoph , Fiedler Peter , Resch Franz
Published: November 2009

Background: Bias in emotional information processing has been described in patients with borderline personality disorder (BPD). This study investigates whether adolescent patients with a diagnosis of BPD demonstrate abnormalities in attentional maintenance in viewing emotional faces. Sampling and Methods: Thirty female adolescents with a diagnosis of BPD, 29 female adolescents with mixed psychiatric diagnoses, and 30 healthy participants were tested with the visual dot probe task. The task involved showing photographs of actors with faces depicting neutral, negative, and positive expressions for 1,500 ms each. Results: Attentional bias to negative faces was not generally associated with BPD, but patients with BPD did show a strong correlation between current mood and attentional bias to negative faces. Only in adolescents with BPD did attention to negative faces narrow when they were currently in a state of negative mood. Conversely, both control groups avoided negative faces in conjunction with a decline in positive mood. Conclusions: This study indicates that borderline pathology is linked to an inability to disengage attention from negative facial expressions during attentional maintenance when in a negative mood. Based on these findings, mood-dependent therapeutic interventions focusing on attentional processes may represent a useful add-on to established therapies in patients with BPD.
Childhood Trauma and Dissociation in Schizophrenia
Authors: Sar Vedat , Taycan Okan , Bolat Nurullah , Özmen Mine , Duran Alaattin , Öztürk Erdinç , Ertem-Vehid Hayriye
Published: November 2009

Background: This study is concerned with relationships between childhood trauma history, dissociative experiences, and the clinical phenomenology of chronic schizophrenia. Sampling and Methods: Seventy patients with a schizophrenic disorder were evaluated using the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV, Dissociative Experiences Scale, Dissociative Disorders Interview Schedule, Positive and Negative Symptoms Scales, and Childhood Trauma Questionnaire. Results: Childhood trauma scores were correlated with dissociation scale scores and dissociative symptom clusters, but not with core symptoms of the schizophrenic disorder. Cluster analysis identified a subgroup of patients with high dissociation and childhood trauma history. The dissociative subgroup was characterized by higher numbers of general psychiatric comorbidities, secondary features of dissociative identity disorder, Schneiderian symptoms, somatic complaints, and extrasensory perceptions. A significant majority of the dissociative subgroup fit the diagnostic criteria of DSM-IV borderline personality disorder concurrently. Among childhood trauma types, only physical abuse and physical neglect predicted dissociation. Conclusions: A trauma-related dissociative subtype of schizophrenia is supported. Childhood trauma is related to concurrent dissociation among patients with schizophrenic disorder. A duality model based on the interaction of 2 qualitatively distinct psychopathologies and a dimensional approach are proposed as possible explanations for the complex relationship between these 2 psychopathologies and childhood trauma.