bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Patterns of Use of Peripheral Nerve Blocks and Trigger Point Injections Among Headache Practitioners in the USA: Results of the American Headache Society Interventional Procedure Survey (AHS‐IPS)
Authors: Blumenfeld Andrew , Ashkenazi Avi , Grosberg Brian , Napchan Uri , Narouze Samer , Nett Bob , DePalma Traci , Rosenthal Barbara , Tepper Stewart , Lipton Richard B.
Published: June 2010

(Headache2010;50:937‐942)

Background.—Many clinicians use peripheral nerve blocks (NBs) and trigger point injections (TPIs) for the treatment of headaches. Little is known, however, about the patterns of use of these procedures among practitioners in the USA.

Objectives.—The aim of this study was to obtain information on patterns of office‐based use of peripheral NBs and TPIs by headache practitioners in the USA.

Methods.—Using an Internet‐based questionnaire, the Interventional Procedures Special Interest Section of the American Headache Society (AHS) conducted a survey among practitioners who were members of AHS on patterns of use of NBs and TPIs for headache treatment.

Results.—Electronic invitations were sent to 1230 AHS members and 161 provided useable data (13.1%). Of the responders, 69% performed NBs and 75% performed TPIs. The most common indications for the use of NBs were occipital neuralgia and chronic migraine (CM), and the most common indications for the use of TPIs were chronic tension‐type headache and CM. The most common symptom prompting the clinician to perform these procedures was local tenderness at the intended injection site. The most common local anesthetics used for these procedures were lidocaine and bupivacaine. Dosing regimens, volumes of injection, and injection schedules varied greatly. There was also a wide variation in the use of corticosteroids when performing the injections. Both NBs and TPIs were generally well tolerated.

Conclusions.—Nerve blocks and TPIs are commonly used by headache practitioners in the USA for the treatment of various headache disorders, although the patterns of their use vary greatly.
Post‐Dural Puncture Headache: Part I Diagnosis, Epidemiology, Etiology, and Pathophysiology
Authors: Bezov David , Lipton Richard B. , Ashina Sait
Published: June 2010

(Headache 2010;50:1144‐1152)

Post‐dural puncture headache (PDPH) is a frequent complication of dural puncture whether performed for diagnostic purposes or accidentally, as a complication of anesthesia. Because both procedures are common, clinicians interested in headache should be familiar with this entity. The differential diagnosis of PDPH is broad and includes other complications of dural puncture as well as headaches attributable to the condition which lead to the procedure. The patterns of development of PDPH depend on a number of procedure‐ and nonprocedure‐related risk factors. Knowledge of procedure‐related factors supports interventions designed to reduce the incidence of PDPH. Finally, despite best preventive efforts, PDPH may still occur and be associated with significant morbidity. Therefore, it is important to know the management and prognosis of this disorder. In this review, we will highlight diagnosis and clinical characteristics of PDPH, differential diagnosis, frequency, and risk factors as well as pathophysiology of PDPH.
Spontaneous Intracranial Hypotension‐Hypovolemia Associated With Tacrolimus
Authors: Ahn Andrew H. , Berman Brian D. , Dillon William P.
Published: June 2010

There is little precedent for a medication‐induced spontaneous intracranial hypotension/cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) hypovolemia (SIH). This case history of a woman with low CSF pressure, orthostatic headache, and radiographic findings consistent with SIH but without a detectable leak was notable for its association, both onset and resolution, with the use of the calcineurin inhibitor tacrolimus (FK506). A literature review for potential causes of a tacrolimus‐induced CSF hypotension suggests many potential mechanisms of action, including effects on blood brain barrier and dural compliance, and supports further vigilance for this condition in the medically complex setting of tacrolimus use.
Developmental Trajectories of Impulsivity and Their Association With Alcohol Use and Related Outcomes During Emerging and Young Adulthood I
Authors: Littlefield Andrew K. , Sher Kenneth J. , Steinley Douglas
Published: June 2010

Background:  Research has documented normative patterns of personality change during emerging and young adulthood that reflect decreases in traits associated with substance use, such as impulsivity. However, evidence suggests variability in these developmental changes.

Methods:  This study examined trajectories of impulsivity and their association with substance use and related problems from ages 18 to 35. Analyses were based on data collected from a cohort of college students (N = 489), at high and low risk for AUDs, first assessed as freshmen at a large, public university.

Results:  Mixture modeling identified five trajectory groups that differed in baseline levels of impulsivity and developmental patterns of change. Notably, the trajectory group that exhibited the sharpest declines in impulsivity tended to display accelerated decreases in alcohol involvement from ages 18 to 25 compared to the other impulsivity groups.

Conclusion:  Findings highlight the developmental nature of impulsivity across emerging and young adulthood and provide an empirical framework to identify key covariates of individual changes of impulsivity.
The Burden of Disease and the Cost of Illness Attributable to Alcohol Drinking—Results of a National Study
Authors: Cortez‐Pinto Helena , Gouveia Miguel , Dos Santos Pinheiro Luís , Costa João , Borges Margarida , Carneiro António Vaz
Published: June 2010

Background and Aims: The World Health Organization estimated that 3.2% of the burden of disease around the world is attributable to the consumption of alcohol. The aim of this study is to estimate the burden of disease attributable to alcohol consumption in Portugal.

Methods: Burden and costs of diseases attributable to alcohol drinking were estimated based on demographic and health statistics available for 2005, using theDisability‐Adjusted Life Years(DALY) lost generated by death or disability.

Results: In Portugal, 3.8% of deaths are attributable to alcohol (4,059 of 107,839). After measuring the DALY generated by mortality data, the proportion of disease attributable to alcohol was 5.0%, with men having 5.6% of deaths and 6.2% of disease burden, while female figures were, respectively, 1.8 and 2.4%. Considering the sum of death and disability DALYs, liver diseases represented the main source of the burden attributable to alcohol with 31.5% of total DALYs, followed by traffic accidents (28.2%) and several types of cancer (19.2%). As for the cost of illness incurred by the health system, our results indicate that €95.1 millions are attributable to alcohol‐related disease admissions (liver diseases, cancer, traffic accidents, and external causes) while the ambulatory costs of alcohol‐related diseases were estimated in €95.9 million, totaling €191.0 million direct costs, representing 0.13% of Gross Domestic Product and 1.25% of total national health expenditures. An alternative analysis was carried out using higher consumption levels so as to replicate aggregate alcohol consumption statistics. In this case, DALYs lost increased by 11.7% and health costs by 23%.

Conclusion: Our results confirm that alcohol is an important health risk factor in Portugal and a heavy economic burden for the health system, with hepatic diseases ranking first as a source of burden of disease attributable to alcohol.
Spironolactone and Hydrochlorothiazide Decrease Vascular Stiffness and Blood Pressure in Geriatric Hypertension
Authors: Kithas Philip A. , Supiano Mark A.
Published: June 2010

OBJECTIVES: To determine the efficacy of spironolactone (SPIRO) and hydrochlorothiazide (HCTZ) as monotherapy in older patients with hypertension in blood pressure (BP) control and measures of vascular stiffness.

DESIGN: Randomized double‐blind trial.

SETTING: University teaching hospital.

PARTICIPANTS: Forty‐five subjects with hypertension (24 men, 21 women, mean age 69).

INTERVENTION: Six months of HCTZ (n=21) or SPIRO (n=24) therapy titrated to a target systolic BP (SBP) less than 140 mmHg.

MEASUREMENTS: Baseline (after 4 weeks of antihypertensive drug washout) and 6‐month 24‐hour ambulatory BP data were obtained. Pulse pressure (PP) was calculated as the difference between 24‐hour average SBP and DBP. Pulse wave velocity (PWV) was determined according to noninvasive recordings of carotid and femoral artery pulse waves.

RESULTS: Six months of HCTZ and SPIRO treatment was associated with significant decreases in 24‐hour and nocturnal SBP and diastolic BP (DBP) (analysis of variance (ANOVA) P<.001). At 6 months, average 24‐hour and nocturnal SBP were lower in the SPIRO than the HCTZ group (P<.001). PP and PWV also decreased significantly with HCTZ and SPIRO treatments (ANOVA P<.001).

CONCLUSIONS: Six months of therapy with HCTZ or SPIRO resulted in comparable reductions in 24‐hour average and nocturnal SBP and DBP, PP, and PWV in older subjects with hypertension.
An Introduction to Statistical Inference and Its Applications with R by TROSSET, M. W.
Authors: Venables W. N.
Published: June 2010

An Introduction to Statistical Inference and Its Applications with R

(M. W. Trosset)

W. N. Venables

ROC Curves for Continuous Data

(W. J. Krzanowski and D. J. Hand)

Lori E. Dodd

A Guide to QTL Mapping with R/qtl

(K. W. Broman and S. Sen)

R. W. Doerge

Design and Analysis of Clinical Trials with Time‐to‐Event Endpoint

(K. E. Peace, ed.)

Yu Shyr

Translational Medicine: Strategies and Statistical Methods

(D. Cosmatos and S.‐C. Chow)

Yongzhao Shao

Clinical Prediction Models: A Practical Approach to Development, Validation and Updating

(E. W. Steyerberg)

Rumana Omar

Maximized Penalized Likelihood Estimation: Volume II: Regression

(P. P. Eggermont and V. N. LaRicca)

Hao Zhang

Morphometrics with R

(J. Claude)

Alfred Kume

Statistical Analysis of Network Data: Methods and Models

(E. D. Kolaczyk)

Crystal Linkletter
Prospective Evaluation of Two Clinical Scores for Acute Asthma in Children 18 Months to 7 Years of Age
Authors: Gouin Serge , Robidas Isabelle , Gravel Jocelyn , Guimont Chantal , Chalut Dominic , Amre Devendra
Published: June 2010

Objectives:  The objective was to evaluate the discriminatory ability of two clinical asthma scores, the Preschool Respiratory Assessment Measure (PRAM) and the Pediatric Asthma Severity Score (PASS), during an asthma exacerbation.

Methods:  This was a prospective cohort study in an academic pediatric emergency department (ED; 60,000 visits/year) conducted from March 2006 to October 2007. All patients 18 months to 7 years of age who presented for an asthma exacerbation were eligible. The primary outcome was a length of stay (LOS) of >6 hours in the ED or admission to the hospital. Clinical findings and components of the PRAM and the PASS were assessed by a respiratory therapist (RT) at the start of the ED visit and after 90 minutes of treatment.

Results:  During the study period, 3,845 patients were seen in the ED for an asthma exacerbation. Of these, 291 were approached to participate, and eight refused. Moderate levels of discrimination were found between a LOS of >6 hours and/or admission and PRAM (area under the receiver‐operating characteristic curve [AUC] = 0.69, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.59 to 0.79) and PASS (AUC = 0.70, 95% CI = 0.60 to 0.80) as calculated at the start of the ED visit. Significant similar correlations were seen between the physician’s judgment of severity and PRAM (r = 0.54, 95% CI = 0.42 to 0.65) and PASS (r = 0.55, 95% CI = 0.43 to 0.65).

Conclusions:  The PRAM and PASS clinical asthma scores appear to be measures of asthma severity in children with discriminative properties.

ACADEMIC EMERGENCY MEDICINE 2010; 17:598–603 © 2010 by the Society for Academic Emergency Medicine
The carbonyl scavenger carnosine ameliorates dyslipidaemia and renal function in Zucker obese rats
Authors: Aldini Giancarlo , Orioli Marica , Rossoni Giuseppe , Savi Federica , Braidotti Paola , Vistoli Giulio , Yeum Kyung‐Jin , Negrisoli Gianpaolo , Carini Marina
Published: June 2010

The metabolic syndrome is a risk factor that increases the risk for development of renal and vascular complications. This study addresses the effects of chronic administration of the endogenous dipeptide carnosine (β‐alanyl‐L‐histidine, L‐CAR) and of its enantiomer (β‐alanyl‐D‐histidine, D‐CAR) on hyperlipidaemia, hypertension, advanced glycation end products, advanced lipoxidation end products formation and development of nephropathy in the non‐diabetic, Zucker obese rat. The Zucker rats received a daily dose of L‐CAR or D‐CAR (30 mg/kg in drinking water) for 24 weeks. Systolic blood pressure was recorded monthly. At the end of the treatment, plasma levels of triglycerides, total cholesterol, glucose, insulin, creatinine and urinary levels of total protein, albumin and creatinine were measured. Several indices of oxidative/carbonyl stress were also measured in plasma, urine and renal tissue. We found that both L‐ and D‐CAR greatly reduced obese‐related diseases in obese Zucker rat, by significantly restraining the development of dyslipidaemia, hypertension and renal injury, as demonstrated by both urinary parameters and electron microscopy examinations of renal tissue. Because the protective effect elicited by L‐ and D‐CAR was almost superimposable, we conclude that the pharmacological action of L‐CAR is not due to a pro‐histaminic effect (D‐CAR is not a precursor of histidine, since it is stable to peptidic hydrolysis), and prompted us to propose that some of the biological effects can be mediated by a direct carbonyl quenching mechanism.
The Effect of Bleaching Time on Dentin Fracture Toughness in Vitro
Authors: WOO JOHNATHAN M. , HO STEPHANIE , TAM LAURA E.
Published: June 2010

Statement of Problem:  A recent study reported a decrease in dentin fracture toughness after the application of peroxide bleaching products to dentin in vitro.

Purpose:  The objective of the present study was to investigate this in vitro decrease in fracture toughness further by evaluating the effect of different peroxide application times on dentin fracture toughness.

Materials and Methods:  Compact test fracture toughness specimens were prepared from coronal human. These were divided into five groups (N = 12) and subjected to either bleach (10% carbamide peroxide) and/or placebo gel for a total of 336 consecutive hours (0 and 336, 84 and 252, 168 and 168, 252 and 84, 336 and 0 hours of bleach and placebo application time, respectively). The gel materials were changed every 6 hours. Fracture toughness testing was done 24 hours after the end of bleaching using tensile loading at 10 mm/min. Results were analyzed by analysis of variance and linear regression (p < 0.05).

Results:  Dentin fracture toughness after 252 and 336 hours was significantly reduced compared to the 0‐ and 84‐hour bleach times. An association between fracture toughness and bleach time (r2 = 0.82) with an inverse linear regression line (K1C = −0.0032 [hour] + 3.386) was found.

Conclusions:  A significant correlation was found between bleach time and dentin fracture toughness. Dentin fracture toughness was reduced over time during the 336‐hour course of in vitro bleaching.

CLINICAL SIGNIFICANCE

The results suggest that it would be prudent to minimize the length of time for clinical bleaching procedures when dentin is directly exposed to bleach.

(J Esthet Restor Dent 22:179–185, 2010)
Identification of two new HLA‐DRB1 alleles, DRB1*040405 and DRB1*1190
Authors: Mantovani M. , Longhi E. , Frison S. , De Arias A. Espadas , Mosca A. , Poli F.
Published: June 2010

We describe here two novel DRB1 alleles, officially named *040405 and *1190. DRB1*040405 differs from DRB1*0404 for one point mutation at codon 72 with no coding changes. DRB1*1190 is identical to DRB1*110101 except for a nucleotide substitution at codon 24 which causes an aminoacidic mutation from valine to methionine. Over time we have been witnessing the identification of a great number of new HLA alleles. DRB1 allelic variability is mostly present in the second exon and more that 760 alleles have been so far identified. Here, we report the description of two novel DRB1 alleles, named *040405 and *1190, and identified in two Caucasoid subjects.
HLA polymorphisms in Sindhi community in Mumbai, India
Authors: Chhaya S. , Desai S. , Saranath D.
Published: June 2010

Indian population is an amalgamation of various ethnicities, cultural and linguistic diversities, primarily due to marriages within a community. HLA‐A, B and DRB1 alleles and haplotype frequencies were investigated in the Sindhi and compared with Marathi, Gujarati and North Indian population from Mumbai. This work is a part of a larger effort aimed at analysis of the HLA profile of diverse Indian ethnics to establish an umbilical cord stem cell panel in India. HLA polymorphisms at the HLA‐A, B and DRB1 loci were determined in 413 cord blood samples by the molecular method of polymerase chain reaction using sequence‐specific primer amplification. The most frequent alleles included A*01, A*02, A*11 and A*24 at A locus, B*35 and B*40 at B locus and DRB1*07 and DRB1*15 in all the four groups, although the frequency fluctuated in individual communities. HLA‐DRB1*03 was significantly high (P < 0.05) in the Sindhi. Phylogenetic association using neighbour‐joining tree, based on DA genetic distances for HLA‐A and HLA‐B alleles, indicated that the Sindhis cluster with North Indian and Pakistan Sindhi. The three locus haplotype analysis revealed that A*02‐B*40‐DRB1*15 and A*33‐B*44‐DRB1*07 were common haplotypes in all the groups. The three locus haplotypes found suggest an influence from Caucasian and Oriental populations. The data will be useful in developing an umbilical cord stem cell panel in India. The results will have clinical implications in unrelated umbilical cord stem cell for transplantation in India.
Contrasting infection frequencies of Neotyphodium endophyte in naturalized Italian ryegrass populations in Japanese farmlands
Authors: Yamashita Masayuki , Iwamoto Miyuki , Maruyama Keisuke , Ichihara Minoru , Sawada Hitoshi
Published: June 2010

Neotyphodium endophytes often confer benefits to their host grasses and may enhance invasiveness of some grasses. The knowledge of infection frequencies of endophytes among invading weed populations is necessary to understand the relationships between endophyte infection and invasiveness. Here we present data on infection frequencies of Italian ryegrass (Lolium multiflorum Lam.), an important weed in some farmlands in Japan, persisting in contrasting farmlands: a terraced paddy field and a wheat‐soybean double‐cropped field in the western region of Shizuoka prefecture, Japan. The terraced paddy site is a mosaic of several landscape elements such as paddy fields, levees, fallow and abandoned fields, with a high percentage of non‐crop area. Rice (Oryza sativa L.) has been cultivated for more than a decade with no application of chemical fertilizers, pesticides and fungicides. The wheat‐soybean field is characterized by the aggregation of large‐scaled fields that were originally reconstructed paddy fields, showing a low percentage of non‐crop area. Wheat and soybean have been grown as winter and summer crops, respectively, using chemical fertilizers and herbicides. We examined the presence or absence of endophytes in a total of 1200 seeds sampled from the two Italian ryegrass populations. The terraced paddy population exhibited a markedly high infection frequency (91.0%), due possibly to selective feeding of non‐infected seeds by insects. In contrast, the wheat‐soybean farmland population showed almost no infection (1.1%), whereas the putative source of the invasion in the proximity exhibited a relatively high infection rate (64.4%). Such a micro‐scale variation in infection frequencies may be attributable to a loss in endophyte viability within the wheat‐soybean field. The findings suggest that endophyte infection frequency may markedly differ among the Italian ryegrass populations even within the same region, presumably depending on the abundance of the seed‐eating insects, farmland management regimes and/or environmental conditions such as soil humidity.
Effects of harvest time across maturity stages and within a day on the nutritive value in the first crop of timothy (Phleum pratense L.)
Authors: Ashikaga Kazunori , Tamaki Hiroyuki , Tanaka Tsuneki , Deguchi Kenzaburo , Iida Kenji , Sato Koichi
Published: June 2010

Timothy (Phleum pratense L.) is the most important perennial forage grass grown in parts of Canada, USA, the Nordic countries of Europe and Hokkaido, Japan. Improvement of its nutritive value through breeding should result in enhanced livestock productivity. The objective of the present study was to investigate the magnitude of genotype × maturity stage interaction (G × M), genotype × harvest time on sunny day interaction (G × TS) and genotype × harvest time on cloudy day interaction (G × TC) for the nutritive value of the first crop of timothy. Fifteen early‐maturing clones of timothy were used to evaluate G × M and 13 clones were used to evaluate G × TS and TC in Kunneppu, Hokkaido in 2005 by analyzing the nutritive value of the first crops using near‐infrared reflectance spectroscopy. Contents of low‐digestible fiber (Ob) and water‐soluble carbohydrate and the ratio of Ob to organic cell wall measured at early heading significantly correlated with their measurements at full heading stage, with non‐significant effects of G × M. These traits also showed a significant correlation between morning and evening in both sunny and cloudy weather conditions, with non‐significant effects of G × TS and TC. We conclude that the relative ranking of genotypes at different maturity stages from early to full heading stage and at different times within a day should be consistent for the required traits, and that selection for these traits at any stage of heading and any time of day should permit effective improvement of the nutritive value of timothy only if the plants are harvested at about the same time (within 1 h).
High School Economic Education and Access to Financial Services
Authors: GRIMES PAUL W. , ROGERS KEVIN E. , SMITH REBECCA CAMPBELL
Published: June 2010

This study provides a long‐term assessment of economic education by examining an individual's decision to have a bank account. Using the results of a nationwide telephone survey, high school courses in economics and business reduced the probability that an adult was unbanked, ceteris paribus. In addition, adults who demonstrated a higher level of understanding of basic economic concepts were less likely to be unbanked. The results indicated that an individual's understanding of the economic system was as important as formal coursework in explaining access to basic financial services.
A Pessimist's Simplistic Historical Perspective on the Fourth Wave of Consumer Protection
Authors: ROTFELD HERBERT JACK
Published: June 2010

The current severe economic downturn, coupled with scandals of business misfeasance and malfeasance, raises expectations for another surge in the U.S. consumer protections. Because it happened three times before, the human temptation to seek historical parallels readily fuels either optimistic hopes or the paranoid ravings of fact‐free commentators on a broadcast news network. A simplified historical perspective brings an odd mix of hopeful optimism and reluctant pessimism.
Diagnosis and treatment of atrial fibrillation in the acute care setting
Authors: Nottingham Fatima
Published: June 2010

Purpose: To discuss the causes of atrial fibrillation (AF), risk factors, and pathophysiology, and review current treatment guidelines for AF in the inpatient setting.

Data sources: Peer‐reviewed medical and nursing journals, American College of Cardiology (ACC), American Heart Association (AHA), and European Society of Cardiology (ESC) practice guidelines.

Conclusions: There are many predisposing factors to AF and a variety of treatment modalities. Nurse practitioners (NPs) should acquaint themselves with the pathophysiology and evidence‐based treatments in order to provide individually based care to patients.

Implications for practice: Pharmacological management is often warranted in patients with AF. NPs must be aware of updated clinical evidence in order to properly treat patients to provide symptomatic relief and improve quality of life.
Clinical recommendations for promoting breastfeeding among Hispanic women
Authors: Faraz Asefeh
Published: June 2010

Purpose: To synthesize research regarding the low breastfeeding rates in Hispanic women living in the United States, particularly those who immigrate to this country and become acculturated.

Data sources: Extensive review of global literature on the subject.

Conclusions: Exclusive and continued breastfeeding rates in the United States have increased in recent years but remain low, and no state in the United States currently meets the Healthy People 2010 recommendations. Due to the increasing number of Hispanic women immigrating to the United States and having children, it is imperative to develop appropriate culturally specific guidelines in breastfeeding promotion programs. When providing care to a Hispanic mother, clinicians can best assist this population by holistically reviewing all aspects of a woman's life including her environment and relationships with others to provide positive outcomes that ultimately benefit Hispanic mothers and their newborns.

Implications for practice: Guidelines and interventions for initiating and continuing breastfeeding in Hispanic women are proposed, including providing a bilingual personal breastfeeding advocate, as well as group classes that incorporate traditional Hispanic cultural beliefs and allow the women to devise personal breastfeeding plans.
Prescribing generic antiepileptic drugs: Issues and concerns for nurse practitioners
Authors: Barrett Megan Weigel
Published: June 2010

Purpose: To educate prescribing clinicians about bioequivalent standards for therapeutic equivalence of brand and generic antiepileptic durgs (AEDs) as more generic drugs come to market, and to increase awareness of practice and safety issues surrounding the use of these drugs for people with seizures.

Data sources: Information was gathered from a search of the scientific literature as well as the author's clinical experience.

Conclusions: Controversy exists regarding the therapeutic equivalence of brand and generic AEDs, even when bioequivalent standards are satisfied. Generic AEDs have been associated with breakthrough seizures and adverse events that may outweigh cost savings encouraged by third‐party payors. Further research is needed comparing brand to generic drugs in a rigorous manner in order to make a consensus statement regarding the safety and equivalency of generic AEDs for all patient populations.

Implications for practice: Generic AEDs may be safely prescribed in certain situations if clinicians are aware of ethical, legal, and practice issues surrounding their use. Sufficient time should be spent educating patients, caregivers, and pharmacists about implications of a switch made without the knowledge of the patient and/or prescriber.
Teaching so they hear: Using a co‐created diabetes self‐management education approach
Authors: New Nelda
Published: June 2010

Purpose: To describe the development and outcomes of a co‐created diabetes self‐management education (DSME) intervention that resulted in statistically significant (p= .02) improvements in diabetes self‐care activities when compared to outcomes of a typical DSME program.

Data sources: In this pilot study, an experimental self‐management intervention with a self‐selected group of adults with type 2 diabetes mellitus was held in the southern United States. Focus group results were used to develop the intervention and DSME participants co‐created the sessions. Pre‐ and postintervention outcomes were compared to those of participants in DSME programs at two area, certified diabetes education centers.

Conclusions: No significant differences were found between the experimental and control groups with regard to knowledge, adaptation, and program satisfaction. However, diabetes self‐care activities significantly improved (p= .02) for the experimental group.

Implications for practice: A co‐created teaching approach better meets the learning needs of adults with type 2 diabetes mellitus and results in enhanced ability to perform the self‐care activities required for successful diabetes control. Better diabetes control reduces visits to monitor and treat complications and the need for repetitive educational sessions that exceed third‐party pay limits and extend the time needed for patient encounters.
Identification and Characterization of Novel Nrf2 Inducers Designed to Target the Intervening Region of Keap1
Authors: Wu Jian H. , Miao Weimin , Hu Liang G. , Batist Gerald
Published: June 2010

Transcription factor Nrf2 regulates a battery of genes encoding detoxifying enzymes. Under basal conditions, Nrf2 is sequestered in the cytoplasm by a protein known as Keap1. In response to oxidative stress, Keap1‐mediated ubiquitination of Nrf2 is decreased significantly and the Nrf2 pathway is turned on. Residues C273 and C288 at the intervening region (IVR) domain of Keap1 are necessary for Keap1 to repress Nrf2, indicating a critical role of the IVR domain in the functional interaction of Keap1 with Nrf2. To identify chemical modulator targeting the IVR domain of Keap1, we built a 3D structural model of the Keap1 IVR domain and demonstrated this structural model is effective in retrieving novel Nrf2 inducers from chemical databases, BM10, 31, and 40 increase concentration of nuclear Nrf2, with a potency comparable to that of sulforaphane. We showed C297S mutation partially abolished the Nrf2‐inducing effect of BM31, suggesting BM31 may target C297 in the IVR domain of Keap1. Further, BM31 and BM40 potently induce expression of ARE‐regulated enzyme gamma‐glutamylcysteine synthetase. We demonstrated that BM31 provides protections for the MCF‐7 cells from cytotoxic damage of carcinogen benzo[a]pyrene.
Punishment: The Future
Authors: Wood David
Published: June 2010

A companion to ‘Punishment: Consequentialism’ and ‘Punishment: Nonconsequentialism’, which examine attempts to justify punishment as a state institution, this paper considers possible alternatives to punishment. On the assumption that there are two elements to punishment, an element of condemnation and of hard treatment, the paper considers, first, the alternative of condemnation without hard treatment, and secondly, of hard treatment without condemnation. The paper then looks ahead to possible developments in thinking and theorising about punishment.
Age‐related behavioral changes in Drosophila
Authors: Iliadi Konstantin G. , Boulianne Gabrielle L.
Published: June 2010

Normal aging can be defined as the natural physiological changes that occur in an organism over time in the absence of any disease. Among the many age‐related changes that can be observed are those that result in the progressive decline of a variety of behavioral responses, including locomotor activity and cognitive function. During the past decade, model organisms, such as the fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster, have been used extensively to study aging. These simpler model systems have been particularly useful for genetic studies of aging because of their small genome size, short generation time, and mean life span compared to either mice or humans. Drosophila also exhibits complex behaviors, many of which undergo age‐related decline. Here, we describe the age‐related changes in behavior that have been observed in Drosophila and discuss how these are affected in long‐ and short‐lived strains of flies.
Biological significance of protein modifications in aging and calorie restriction
Authors: Nakamura Akihiro , Kawakami Kyojiro , Kametani Fuyuki , Nakamoto Hideko , Goto Sataro
Published: June 2010

By virtue of the progress in proteomics, the involvement of posttranslational modifications in aging has been more clearly demonstrated in recent years. We describe here that (1) carbonylation, a hallmark of protein oxidation in general, is paradoxically decreased in histone with aging and increased by calorie restriction (CR), (2) acetylation of lysine 9 and phosphorylation of serine 10 in histone H3 are decreased and increased, respectively, with aging, and (3) the acetylation level of multiple extranuclear proteins decreases significantly with aging, and the change was not only retarded but increased remarkably by CR in rat liver. Based on these findings, we discuss possible implications of the posttranslational protein modifications in biochemical processes underlying aging and CR‐induced extension of life span.
Cellular aging and centrosome aberrations
Authors: Ohshima Susumu , Seyama Atsushi
Published: June 2010

The significant increase in chromosomal instability with aging is well known, but the underlying mechanism is not fully understood. Our earlier studies showed a high frequency of abnormal mitosis, such as mitotic slippage or incomplete mitosis in near‐senescent human fibroblasts. This study examined the centrosome aberrations in mitotic and interphase cells from different passages of several strains of human fibroblasts. Analysis by laser scanning cytometry showed increased frequencies of abnormal mitotic cells with supernumerary (>2/cell) centrosomes and misaligned chromosomes in later passages in all strains examined. Numerical centrosome aberrations were prominent in a polyploid subpopulation. In metaphase cells, numerical centrosome aberrations were correlated significantly with chromosome misalignment. Fluorescent in situ hybridization analysis using a centromere‐specific probe revealed a correlation between chromosome aneusomy and centrosome over‐duplication. These results suggest that abnormal duplication of centrosomes in association with cellular aging may be responsible for the increase in chromosomal instability with aging.
Longevity health sciences and mental health as future medicine
Authors: Riga Sorin , Riga Dan , Mihailescu Alexandra , Motoc Daniela , Mos Liana , Schneider Francisc
Published: June 2010

Longevity health sciences and mental health are fields of public health and of preventive and integrative medicine. The antagonism between health construction and human pathology is substantiated by two opposite fundamental pathways: the health–longevity tetrad versus the aging–disease cascade. It is necessary that the current paradigm of contemporary medicine be replaced by the advanced paradigm of future medicine. A societal cost–benefit rate is decisive for health–longevity promotion. This is why the WHO public health strategy keeps forwarding the societal medical target into the global health–longevity field.
Emerging role of the MORF/MRG gene family in various biological processes, including aging
Authors: Chen Meizhen , Tominaga Kaoru , Pereira‐Smith Olivia M.
Published: June 2010

Cellular senescence is the dominant phenotype over immortality. In our studies to identify senescence‐related genes, we cloned Morf4, which induced senescence in a subset of tumor cells. Morf4 is a member of a family of seven genes, and Morf‐related genes (Mrg) on chromosomes 15 (Mrg15) and X (MrgX) are also expressed. In contrast to MORF4, MRG15 and MRGX are positive regulators of cell division. All three proteins interact with histone deacetylases and acetyltransferases, suggesting that they function in regulation of chromatin dynamics. Mrg15 knockout mice are embryonic lethal, and mouse embryonic fibroblasts derived from Mrg15 null embryos proliferate poorly, enter senescence rapidly, and have impaired DNA repair compared to the wild type. Mrg15 null embryonic neural stem and progenitor cells also have a decreased capacity for proliferation and differentiation. Further studies are needed to determine the function of this gene family in various biological processes, including neural stem and progenitor cell aging.
Inhibition of Shiga Toxin 2 (Stx2) in Apple Juices and its Resistance to Pasteurization
Authors: Rasooly Reuven , Do Paula M. , Levin Carol E. , Friedman Mendel
Published: June 2010

Abstract:  In the present study, we evaluated Shiga toxin (Stx2) activity in apple juices by measuring a decrease in dehydrogenase activity of Vero cells with the microculture tetrazolium (MTT) assay. Freshly prepared juice from Red Delicious apples and Golden Delicious apples inhibited the biological activity of the bacterial toxin Stx2 produced by E. coli O157:H7 strains. Studies with immunomagnetic beads bearing specific antibodies against the toxin revealed that Stx2 activity was restored when removed from the apple juice. SDS gel electrophoresis revealed no difference (P < 0.05) in the densities or molecular weights between Stx2 in either PBS or apple juices. These results suggest that Stx2 may be reversibly bound to small molecular weight constituents in the juice. The Stx2 toxin was not inactivated on exposure to heat programs (63 °C for 30 min, 72 °C for 15 s, 89 °C for 1 s) commonly used to pasteurize apple juice, but lost all activity when exposed to 100 °C for 5 min. The results suggest that pasteurization of apple juice used to inactivate E. coli O157:H7 has no effect on Stx2, and that food‐compatible and safe antitoxin compounds can be used to inhibit the biological activity of the Shiga toxin.

Practical Application:  This study explores the possibility of using naturally occurring antioxidative substances, in this case high phenolic apples juices, to inactivate Shiga toxin (Stx2) produced by E. coli O157:H7 in contaminated foods.
Antioxidant Activity and Chemical Composition of the Fractions from Burdock Leaves
Authors: Lou Zaixiang , Wang Hongxin , Li Jing , Chen Shangwei , Zhu Song , Ma Chaoyang , Wang Zhouping
Published: June 2010

Abstract: The antioxidant activities of each burdock leaves fraction were first investigated alone and in combination with tertiary butylhydroquinone (TBHQ). The burdock leaves extract was fractioned with petroleum ether, ethyl acetate, n‐butanol, and water, named as PF, EF, BF, and WF, respectively. The EF exhibited the highest antioxidant activity. Although TBHQ exhibited higher lipid peroxidation inhibitory activity than EF, the reducing power, superoxide anion scavenging capability, DPPH radical and hydroxyl radicals scavenging ability of EF were higher than those of synthetic antioxidant (TBHQ). Moreover, a synergistic antioxidant effect between EF and TBHQ was first demonstrated by isobolographic analysis, indicating that EF dramatically enhances the antioxidant efficiency of TBHQ. For all the fractions, the antioxidant capacity had a significant correlation with total phenolic content. The phenolic compounds of the fractions were then identified, namely chlorogenic acid, o‐hydrobenzoic acid, caffeic acid, p‐coumaric acid, and rutin. The results indicate that the EF could be used as sources of nature antioxidant in food industry, and allows a decrease of about 4 folds in the amounts of the synthetic compounds used.
Antimicrobial Effects of Wine: Separating the Role of Polyphenols, pH, Ethanol, and Other Wine Components
Authors: Boban Natasa , Tonkic Marija , Budimir Danijela , Modun Darko , Sutlovic Davorka , Punda‐Polic Volga , Boban Mladen
Published: June 2010

Abstract:  While the antimicrobial effectiveness of wine is well documented, relative contributions of the wine components to its antimicrobial activity is controversial. To separate the role of wine phenolics, ethanol, and pH from other wine constituents, the antimicrobial effects of intact wine were compared to that of phenols‐stripped wine, dealcoholized wine, ethanol, and low pH applied separately and in combination, against 2 common foodborne pathogens, Salmonella enterica serovar Enteritidis and Escherichia coli. All samples were biochemically characterized with respect to their total phenolics and resveratrol content, antioxidant capacity, ethanol content, and pH. Antioxidative activity of the samples corresponded to their total phenolics content. Except for respective controls, pH and ethanol content were similar in all samples. The order of antibacterial activity of the samples was: intact wine > phenols‐stripped wine > dealcoholized wine > combination of ethanol and low pH > low pH > ethanol. Separate application of ethanol or low pH showed negligible antibacterial activity while their combination showed synergistic effect. Antibacterial activity of the samples could not be related to their total phenolics and resveratrol content, antioxidant capacity, ethanol content, or pH. Our study indicates that antimicrobial activity of complex solutions such as intact wine cannot be exclusively attributed to its phenolic or nonphenolic constituents, nor can the antimicrobial activity of wine be predicted on the basis of its particular components.
Small interfering RNA against the apurinic or apyrimidinic endonuclease enhances the sensitivity of human pancreatic cancer cells to gemcitabine in vitro
Authors: XIONG Guang Su , SUN Hui Ling , WU Shu Ming , MO Jian Zhong
Published: June 2010

OBJECTIVE:  To investigate whether the downregulation of human apurinic or apyrimidinic endonuclease/redox factor‐1 gene (APE1/Ref‐1) expression by ribonucleic acid interference (RNAi) would increase the sensitivity of SW1990 cells to gemcitabine.

METHODS:  Chemically synthesized small interfering RNA (siRNA) directed against human APE1/Ref‐1 (si‐APE1) was transfected into SW1990 cells through transfection reagents. The mRNA expression of APE1/Ref‐1 was detected by semi‐quantitative RT‐PCR and the protein expression of APE1/Ref‐1 was detected by Western blot; cell proliferation and apoptosis were studied by a Cell Counting Kit 8 (CCK‐8) and flow cytometry (FCM) and fluorescence microscopy.

RESULTS:  After transfecting the SW1990 cells with siRNA directed against human APE1/Ref‐1, the mRNA expression of APE1/Ref‐1 of these cells was reduced, and its protein expression was reduced by 55.41 ± 3.58%. The CCK‐8 assay showed that the absorbance and the inhibition of cell growth transfected with si‐APE1 were significantly different from the blank (cultured with Dulbecco's modified Eagle's medium) and negative control (given 50 nmol/L scrambled control siRNA). The inhibition rates of cell growth of the si‐APE1 group at 24, 48, 72 h were 41.69 ± 2.78%, 24.83 ± 3.70% and 21.27 ± 9.82%, respectively. A FCM analysis and cell morphology study showed that the apoptotic rate of SW1990 cells transfected with si‐APE1 combined with gemcitabine treatment was significantly different from the blank control and others.

CONCLUSION:  To knock down APE1/Ref‐1 gene expression may significantly sensitize the SW1990 cells to gemcitabine and enhance cell apoptosis.
Les incidences de la crise sur les administrations de sécurité sociale: résultats d'une enquête menée par l'AISS
Authors: Orton Ian
Published: June 2010

Cet article dresse le bilan d'une grande enquête conduite en 2009 par l'Association internationale de la sécurité sociale (AISS), qui porte sur les incidences de la crise économique et financière sur les administrations de sécurité sociale. Il en ressort qu'une majorité d'administrations a été durement éprouvée par la baisse de la rentabilité des investissements des fonds de la sécurité sociale et par la chute des recettes provenant des cotisations. Dans le même temps, ces administrations doivent faire face à une augmentation des dépenses au titre des prestations. Or, en dépit de ce constat, il semblerait qu'elles aient réagi de manière souvent positive et novatrice à ces revers. Néanmoins, les difficultés persistent. A cet égard, le problème le plus préoccupant reste que la reprise économique risque d'être lente, que la crise sur le marché du travail peut perdurer avec, pour corollaire, des réserves financières qui s'épuisent et une marge de manœuvre budgétaire plus que restreinte.
Attributes of an ideal oral health care system
Authors: Tomar Scott L. , Cohen Lois K.
Published: June 2010

Objectives: The sense of urgency concerning the inadequacies of the current U.S. oral health care system in better preventing oral diseases, eliminating oral health disparities, and ensuring access to basic oral health services has increased in recent years. This paper sought to articulate the attributes that an ideal oral health care system would possess, which would be consistent with the principles of the leading authorities on the public's health.

Methods: The authors reviewed policy statements and position papers of the World Health Organization, The Institute of Medicine, The American Public Health Association, Healthy People 2010 Objectives for the Nation, and the American Association of Public Health Dentistry.

Results: Consistent with leading public health authorities, an ideal oral health care system would be have the following attributes: integration with the rest of the health care system; emphasis on health promotion and disease prevention; monitoring of population oral health status and needs; evidence‐based; effective; cost‐effective; sustainable; equitable; universal; comprehensive; ethical; includes continuous quality assessment and assurance; culturally competent; and empowers communities and individuals to create conditions conducive to health.

Conclusions: Although there are some attributes of an ideal oral health care system on which the United States has made initial strides, it falls far short in many areas. The development of an oral health care delivery system that meets the characteristics described above is possible but would require tremendous commitment and political will on the part of the American public and its elected officials to bring it to fruition.
Combining genetic, historical and geographical data to reconstruct the dynamics of bioinvasions: application to the cane toadBufo marinus
Authors: ESTOUP ARNAUD , BAIRD STUART J.E. , RAY NICOLAS , CURRAT MATHIAS , CORNUET JEAN‐MARIE , SANTOS FILIPE , BEAUMONT MARK A. , EXCOFFIER LAURENT
Published: June 2010

We developed a spatially explicit model of a bioinvasion and used an approximate Bayesian computation (ABC) framework to make various inferences from a combination of genetic (microsatellite genotypes), historical (first observation dates) and geographical (spatial coordinates of introduction and sampled sites) information. Our method aims to discriminate between alternative introduction scenarios and to estimate posterior densities of demographically relevant parameters of the invasive process. The performance of ourlandscape‐ABCmethod is assessed using simulated data sets differing in their information content (genetic and/or historical data). We apply our methodology to the recent introduction and spatial expansion of the cane toad,Bufo marinus, in northern Australia. We find that, at least in the context of cane toad invasion, historical data are more informative than genetic data for discriminating between introduction scenarios. However, the combination of historical and genetic data provides the most accurate estimates of demographic parameters. For the cane toad, we find some evidence for a strong bottleneck prior to introduction, a small initial number of founder individuals (about 15), a large population growth rate (about 400% per generation), a standard deviation of dispersal distance of 19 km per generation and a high invasion speed at equilibrium (50 km per year). Our approach strengthens the application of the ABC method to the field of bioinvasion by allowing statistical inferences to be made on the introduction and the spatial expansion dynamics of invasive species using a combination of various relevant sources of information.