bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Effects of mouthrinses with linseed extract Salinum® without/with chlorhexidine on oral conditions in patients with Sjögren's syndrome. A double‐blind crossover investigation
Authors: Johansson Gunvor , Andersson Gunilla , Edwardsson Stig , Björn Anna‐Lisa , Manthorpe Rolf , Attström Rolf
Published: December 2003

Objectives: To study the effect of mouthrinses with salivary replacement substances on oral conditions in patients with primary Sjögren's syndrome.

Design: Cross‐over, double‐blind study.

Setting: Facilities at the Centre for Oral Health Sciences, Malmö University and at Malmö University Hospital, Malmö, Sweden.

Subjects: Twenty‐two patients with Sjögren's syndrome.

Intervention: Linseed extract Salinum® alone (Sal) or with addition of chlorhexidine (Sal/Chx) was used for mouthrinsing during 3‐week periods of rinsings separated by a 3‐week “wash‐out” period.

Measurements: Recordings of percentages of sites with dental plaque and bleeding on probing, mirror friction test and microbiological analyses. Questionnaire on oral symptoms due to reduced salivation.

Results: Dental plaque and bleeding on probing were reduced after Sal and after Sal/Chx. Friction was reduced after both treatments. No significant differences for counts of studied microbial groups were seen after Sal but the total anaerobically cultured microorganisms and of mutans streptococci fell after Sal/Chx (p<0.05 and p<0.001). Symptoms of oral dryness improved following Sal and Sal/Chx (p<0.05 and p<0.001 respectively). Speaking problems and burning mouth symptoms improved after use of Sal (p<0.05).

Conclusions: Positive effects on symptoms in patients with Sjögren's syndrome were seen after use of Salinum® without or with chlorhexidine.
The prevalence of dental impacts on daily performances in older people in Northern Thailand
Authors: Srisilapanan P. , Sheiham A
Published: December 2003

Objective: To assess the prevalence of oral related impacts on the quality of daily life in older Thais.

Desing: A cross‐sectional study on a non‐random sample.

Setting: Metropolitan area of Chiang Mai, Thailand Subjects: 707 older individuals living independently, aged 60 to 74 years, 549 were dentate, 158 were edentate.

Methods: Clinical examination and questionnaire for the Oral Impacts on Daily Performances (OIDP) index and on dental behaviours.

Results: About one half of the older people interviewed (52.8%) had at least one OIDP oral impact. The most common performance affected was eating (47.2%). The two main symptoms that caused oral impacts in the total sample were functional limitation and pain. The majority of older people had low OIDP scores below 8.0 (76.4%). Almost one in 10 had OIDP scores above 16.0. Individuals with a high income were more likely to have lower OIDP score (p<0.001). Subjects who had attended a dentist were more likely to have no oral impacts (p=0.02). There was a significant difference between OIDP scores related to some clinical variables; dental status (p=0.002), having mobile teeth (p=0.005), periodontal attachment loss (p<0.001), missing anterior and posterior teeth (p<0.001).

Conclusions: Oral impacts that affected quality of life of older people were relatively common but not severe. The impacts were related to some social and clinical variables.
Reactions in the oral mucous membrane after exposure to CarisolvTM ‐ combined results from a clinical screening test in humans and an experimental study in rats
Authors: Arvidsson Anna , Stirling Chanelle , Sennerby Lars , Wennerberg Ann
Published: December 2003

Objective: To evaluate reactions in the oral mucosa after direct contact with CarisolvTM

Setting: The Faculty of Odontology in Göteborg, Sweden. Subjects: 34 healthy persons for a clinical screening test and 35 Sprague Dawley rats for a histological study.

Desing: Mixed CarisolvTM or 0.5 % NaOCl were soaked in paper and applied to either side of the medial frenula of the lower lip of 34 persons. The solutions were left on the oral mucosa for three minutes. Inspection was made and photographs were taken immediately after exposure and also after 1 hour, 24 hours, and 72 hours. Mixed CarisolvTM was applied in a similar manner as described above to 35 adult Sprague Dawley rats. The animals were killed and biopsies were taken immediately after CarisolvTM exposure and also after 1 hour, 24 hours, and 48 hours. The biopsies were sectioned and prepared for histomorphometrical evaluation in light microscopy where cells were counted on regions from the epithelium layer deeper into the mucous membrane.

Results: Some adverse reactions were detected on the oral mucosa of humans up to 24 hours after CarisolvTM exposure for 3 minutes. The detected inflammatory reactions were slight and no patient felt any discomfort. The results of the histological study on rat did not show any statistically significant increase of the number of cells at any time after CarisolvTM exposure.

Conclusions: If the oral mucosa gets in direct contact with CarisolvTM for 3 minutes no or only a weak inflammatory response may be expected.
The uptake of dental services by elderly Germans
Authors: Nitschke Ina , Müller Frauke , Hopfenmüller Werner
Published: December 2003

Objective: The aim of the study was to assess the uptake of dental services by the old and very old population within the scope of the Berlin Aging Study (Berliner Altersstudie BASE).

Design: A multi‐disciplinary structured interview was performed on 928 subjects, aged from 70 to 103 years of whom 516 persons volunteered to take part in a 14‐session intensive protocol. Six representative study groups were matched for age and gender. Subjects were asked to recall the timing of their most recent dental visit. Data were validated by sending for dental records and compared with all study participants from the multi‐disciplinary intake assessment. Data were related to age group, dental state, dementia and education.

Results: Reported last contact with dental services ranged from 2 weeks to 52 years (median 18 months) with a higher time lapse in the study groups aged 85 and older. Dentate subjects had seen their dentist more recently than edentate subjects. Higher education correlated with an increased dental utilisation. Subjective memory on the time lapse since the last dental appointment coincided in 13% of the subjects with available dental records (n=84), was misjudged between one and six months in 55%, and by more than six months in the remainder. Moderately or severely demented subjects who remembered their last dental appointment (n=48 of 70) showed no consistently different utilisation to healthy or mildly demented studs participants.

Conclusion: Edentate old and very old subjects show the least frequent utilisation of dental services. Data on motivation and barriers to care are needed to develop strategies to improve the use of dental services and thus promote oral health in late life.
Evaluation of a modified version of the index of Oral Impacts On Daily Performances (OIDP) in elderly populations in two European countries
Authors: Tsakos G , Marcenes W , Sheiham A
Published: December 2003

Objective: To examine the psychometric properties of a modified version of the index of Oral Impacts on Daily Performance (OIDP) in elderly populations in two European countries, namely Great Britain and Greece. The psychometric properties examined in this study refer to internal consistency and face, content, criterion and construct validity.

Design and Setting: Cross‐sectional epidemiologic surveys of independently living people aged 65 years or older. Data were collected by interviewers through structured questionnaires. The British sample consisted of the randomly selected independently living persons that participated in the dental component of the National Diet and Nutrition Survey (NDNS) of adults aged 65 years or over. The Greek sample is an opportunity sample drawn from eligible people living in two municipalities of the Athens region.

Subjects: 753 people participated in the British and 681 in the Greek sample.

Results: Through pilot work in both countries, the OIDP index was modified and both Greek and British modified versions demonstrated satisfactory face and content validity. In the main studies, Cronbach's alpha of the modified OIDP was 0.77 for the Greek and 0.69 for the British sample. In both samples, the index showed very significant associations with perceived dental treatment need (p<0.001), perceived general health (p<0.001 in Greek, p=0.002 in British) and intermediate oral impacts (p<0.001), as well as with satisfaction with oral health in the Greek sample (p<0.001).

Conclusions: Overall, this study has demonstrated that the modified OIDP is a valid and reliable measure of oral health related quality of life in elderly people in Great Britain and Greece.
Caries experience in existing and new nursing home residents in Adelaide, Australia
Authors: Chalmers Jane M , Carter Knute D , Fuss Janet M , Spencer A John , Hodge Chris P
Published: December 2003

Objectives: The Adelaide Dental Study of Nursing Homes was instigated to provide comprehensive information concerning oral disease experience, incidence and increments in a random sample of those older South Australians residing in Adelaide nursing homes.

Methods: This paper presents caries experience results for existing and new nursing home residents, and caries incidence and increments for existing residents, from dental inspections conducted at the baseline and one‐year data collections.

Results: The residents in this study were very functionally dependent, medically compromised, cognitively impaired and behaviourally difficult older adults, the great majority of whom had moderate to severe cognitive impairment. Residents gave their carers many complex and challenging behavioural problems during oral hygiene care provision. Existing and new residents had similar dental history, oral hygiene, and socio‐detnographic characteristics, and similar cognitive, medical, functional, and nutritional status. Oral disease experience was high in both existing and new residents. There were no significant differences between existing and new residents for their dentate status, tooth status, coronal caries experience, or root caries experience, with the exceptions that new residents had significantly greater mean number of teeth, more filled coronal and root surfaces, and also new residents had significantly fewer decayed retained roots. Large numbers of tooth surfaces were covered in plaque and debris that negated more precise assessment of caries. The existing residents had caries increments on both coronal (2.5 surfaces) and root surfaces (1.0 surfaces) over the one‐year period. Coronal caries incidence was 64% and root caries incidence was 49% of existing residents.

Conclusions: Oral disease experience was high in both existing and new residents. There were few significant differences between existing and new residents’ oral health status. New residents were being admitted to nursing homes with a compromised oral health status. Coronal and root caries increments and incidence were high for existing residents over the one‐year period.
The development of a method for functional assessment of dentures
Authors: Corrigan PJ , Basket RM , Farrin AJ , Mulley GP , Heath MR
Published: December 2003

Aims: To design and validate a method of assessing complete dentures from a functional standpoint.

Subjects: A random sample of 40 complete denture wearers took part in the study.

Setting: A university clinical department of prosthetic dentistry.

Intervention: We undertook a pilot study to refine the protocol and criteria. All participants and their dentures were examined by two authors independently, with no prior knowledge of the patients'complaints.

Design: We defined nine clinical factors of functional quality and applied criteria with binary scoring. We analysed the scores for these factors for inter‐rater reliability.

Results: The method proved simple to apply and took less than 5 minutes to complete. The inter‐examiner agreement for all factors was 86% to 100% giving Kappa scores of 0.64 to 1.00 (all Good or Very Good).

Conclusions: This study successfully demonstrates that the technique, which we call the Functional Assessment of Dentures (FAD), can give good inter‐examiner reliability. It can therefore be used separately as a routine diagnostic tool and to investigate the relationship between denture qualities and functional ‘outcome’ such as difficulty eating or dietary selection.
Validation of indices for functional assessment of dentures
Authors: Anastassiadou V. , Naka O. , Heath M.R , Kapari D.
Published: December 2003

Aims: To validate an assessment of qualities of complete dentures that may relate to functional success.

Subjects: A consecutive sample of 131 complete denture wearers took part in the study.

Setting: a Greek department of prosthetic dentistry. Intervention: All participants and their dentures underwent clinical examination.

Design: The Functional Assessment of Dentures (FAD) 10‐item criteria1 describing clinical factors of denture quality was used. The rationale for selecting these particular criteria was to include a range of clinical factors to produce an overall assessment of complete dentures. The 10‐item scale was examined for Internal Consistency and Construct Validity providing a summated rating scale whose total score could be used as an index for the quality of dentures.

Results: Both intra‐ and inter‐examiner agreement for all 10 dichotomous scale criteria were all good or very good; the intra‐examiner Kappa values were 0.72 to 0.91 and the inter‐ examiner values were 0.72 to 0.99. Statistical analysis revealed that a 7‐item summated rating scale could be constructed which has marginally better internal consistency (reliability) and Construct Validity with fewer questions.

Conclusions: The FAD criteria1 can be used to give good repeatability. The adjustments made to the original summation scale, if confirmed by new studies, would further increase the practical utility of a FAD index for general dentists. In due course with data from future studies, discrimination on weighting of items will be appropriate to relate the impact of denture quality on quality of life.
Health‐related quality of life in patients with Primary Sjögren's Syndrome and Xerostomia: a comparative study
Authors: Rostron Jocelyne , Rogers Simon , Longman Lesley , Kancy Sue , Field E Anne
Published: December 2003

Objective: To compare the health status of groups of Primary Sjögren's and Xerostomia patients, using the Medical Outcomes Short Form 36 (SF‐36). The SF‐36 is a generic measure, divided into eight domains, used in the assessment of health‐related quality of life. Patients and methods: The SF‐36 was given to 2 groups: Group 1 comprised 43 patients diagnosed with Primary Sjögren's Syndrome (1SS) and an unstimulated whole salivary flow rate (UFR) of <0.1 ml/min). Group 2 (n = 40) reported Xerosiomia but had an UFR >0.2 ml/min. Sub groups of patients in Groups 1 and 2 were compared with community normative data, for the SF‐36

Results: There were trends to suggest lower SF36 scores for 1SS patients but there were no significant differences between the mean domain scores of Groups 1 and 2. 1SS and Xerostomia patients registered lower mean scores across all 8 domains, compared with normative community data.

Conclusion: The SF‐36 was unable to detect significant differences between subjects with 1SS and Xerostomia but a larger sample size is required to confirm these findings. The results of this limited study suggest that a disease‐specific measure is required to assess the impact 1SS on health‐related Quality of life (QOL).
Bronchopneumonia and oral health in hospitalized older patients. A pilot study
Authors: Imsand M. , Janssens J‐P , Auckenthaler R. , Mojon P. , Budtz‐Jørgensen E.
Published: December 2003

Aims: To correlate microbial findings obtained by bronchoalveolar lavage in pneumonia patients with the clinical situation of the oral cavity.

Method: Quantitative aerobic and anaerobic cultures were carried out in 150 ml samples of bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) obtained by means of an endoscope (Video Endoscope Pentax®) inserted per as in the infected bronchus.

Material: Twenty consecutive patients with a tentative clinical diagnosis of bronchopneumonia in whom BAL was carried out for diagnostic purposes. A clinical evaluation of the oral health status (oral hygiene, caries, periodontal diseases) was subsequently carried out.

Results: In seven edentulous subjects wearing complete dentures the culture of anaerobic microorganisms was negative or yielding less than 100 cfu/ml BAL. Two patients yielded high counts of S. aureus and one high counts of P. aeruginosa. In the 13 subjects with natural teeth left one showed high counts of Veillonella spp. (anaerobic)+P. aeruginosa, one high counts of Veillonella spp. +S. aureus, one high counts of P. aeruginosa + S. aureus and one high counts of E. coli. These four subjects showed poor oral hygiene, periodontal pockets and a BAL microflora consistent with periodontal pathology. Conclusion: The results of this pilot study suggest that microorganisms of denture plaque or associated with periodontal diseases may give rise to aspiration pneumonia in susceptible individuals.
Prosthetic crowns and other clinical risk indicators of caries among old‐old Swedish adults: Findings from the KEOHS Project
Authors: Morse Douglas E. , Holm‐Pedersen Poul , Holm‐Pedersen Jytte , Katz Ralph V. , Viitanen Matti , von Strauss Eva , Winblad Bengt
Published: December 2003

Objectives: The Kungsholmen Elders Oral Health Study (KEOHS) evaluated the oral health status of generally healthy, community‐dwelling persons over the age of 80 living in Kungsholmen, Sweden. This paper explored possible clinical risk indicators of coronal and root caries among the KEOHS subjects.

Design: In this cross‐sectional study, dentate KEOHS subjects received a caries assessment using defined visual, tactile criteria.

Setting: Examinations were carried out in two local clinics by standardized examiners.

Subjects: One hundred twenty‐nine dentate persons were examined.

Main Outcome Measures: The examination identified decayed and filled surfaces, prosthetic crowns, and missing teeth.

Results: More root than coronal surfaces had untreated decay, and secondary root caries contributed the greatest number of decayed surfaces. Ninety percent of the examined dentate subjects had at least one prosthetic crown. Root surfaces exposed to crown margins were more likely to have caries than root surfaces not so exposed, particularly among women. The presence of untreated coronal caries (yes/no) was positively associated with having untreated root caries and an intermediate number (14–20) of teeth, but inversely associated with having 4+ prosthetic crowns. Active root caries (yes/no) was positively associated with having untreated coronal caries, 14–20 teeth, and 4+ prosthetic crowns. Nearly 20% of identified root lesions were present at or below the gingival margin, and most (88%) were secondary caries associated with crown margins (65%) or other restorations (23%).

Conclusions: Our findings suggest that some dental characteristics, including the presence of prosthetic crowns, are risk indicators for the presence of untreated coronal and root caries.
Masticatory ability in 80‐year‐old subjects and its relation to intake of energy, nutrients and food items
Authors: Österberg T , Tsuga K , Rothenberg E , Carlsson G E , Steen B
Published: December 2003

Objective: The aim of the present study was to analyse the relationship between masticatory ability (self‐assessed masticatory ability and bite force) and intake of energy, nutrients and food items in a population sample of elderly subjects.

Design and Subjects: From a population sample of 80‐year‐old people, 160 individuals (74 men and 86 women) took part in an odontological study.

Main Outcome Measures: A dental examination including bite force recording, a questionnaire focusing on self‐assessed masticatory ability, and a dietary interview.

Setting: Department of Geriatric Medicine, Göteborg University, Sweden.

Results: The dental status among the participants varied much (from edentulous in both jaws ‐ 22% ‐ to more than 20 natural teeth ‐ 30%). The mean maximum bite force was higher in men (165 N) than in women (105 N). Bite force was significantly correlated to the Eichner index and to the number of teeth. One third of the subjects reported no masticatory problem, whereas 18% identified 3 such problems. The intake of energy and nutrients varied much but the means were well above recommended values. The correlations between dental status and bite force on one side and dietary intake on the other side were in general weak and most often statistically non‐significant. Impaired general health and reduced dentition were both associated with more masticatory problems.

Conclusion: The examined sample of 80‐year‐old subjects had a great variation in dental status, bite force and self‐assessed masticatory ability, but these factors had only a minor influence on dietary selection and intake, which on average were well above recommended values.
Testing a model of the relationship between gender, ethnicity, clinical status and impact in older adults from minority ethnic groups
Authors: Newton JT , Robinson PG , Khan F , Gelbier S , Gibbons DK
Published: December 2003

Objective: To identity the relationship between indicators of self‐assessed symptom status, the reported impact of oral conditions and clinical indices, and the extent to which this relationship was moderated by gender and ethnicity.

Design: Secondary analysis of data from an oral health survey of minority ethnic groups.

Participants: Purposive sample of 376 individuals from minority ethnic groups in the United Kingdom recruited through community groups.

Measures: Numbers of decayed, missing and filled teeth. Measures of self assessed symptoms, and impact upon quality of life.

Results: Impact of oral conditions upon lifestyle was predicted by the number of missing teeth, the presence of pain on eating certain foods and the presence of toothache in the previous four weeks. Social variables (gender and ethnicity) did not predict impact cither singly or through interaction with symptoms.

Conclusions: The findings support a linear model of the relationship between the experience of oro‐facial symptoms and impact on everyday life amongst older adults.
Difficulties in dental prescribing of saliva substitutes for xerostomia
Authors: Frost Peter M
Published: December 2003

The value of salivary substitutes for many elderly patients is indicated by a simple web search which found 2,470 references, with references to prescribing across the globe. To contain the public expense, prescribing medicaments within the National Health Service in England is limited to approved lists. The only salivary substitute currently prescribable by dentists has not been produced for 18 months. It is argued that: the prescription of this symptomatic therapy should be based on potential benefit for the xerostomic patient and not, as now, primarily on the pathological aetiology of the oral dryness. Secondly, that the professional caring for that oral problem‐ the dentist, is best placed to manage the prescribing as part of the overall management of the patient, independent of any reference to the patients physician that may be appropriate as part of the overall management of the patient.
Developing an instrument to support oral care in the elderly
Authors: Sumi Yasunori , Nakajima Kazuki , Tamura Toshiyo , Nagaya Masahiro , Michiwaki Yukihiro
Published: December 2003

Background: The dramatic increase in the number of dependent elderly in developed countries has created a great need for their improved oral care. However, optimal oral care by caregivers is not possible because of time constraints, difficulty involved in brushing other individuals' teeth, lack of co‐operation, and the lack of perceived need. Therefore, the development of an effective instrument simplifying and supporting oral care to relieve the strain on caregivers is a matter of some urgency. Purpose: In order to clean the mouths of elderly dependent patients, we have developed a new oral care support instrument (an electric toothbrush in combination with an antibacterial‐agent supply and suction system). The purpose of the present study was to develop and evaluate a new oral care support instrument. Methods: a) Plaque removal study: The plaque‐ removing ability of this new instrument in 70 outpatients was compared with the Plak Control D9011 (Braun Gillette Japan Inc.) as a control by means of the Turesky modification of the Quigley and Hein plaque index, b) Clinical study: The subjects were 10 dependent elderly who received oral care using the new oral care support instrument for two weeks. The plaque and gingival indices were used for clinical evaluations. Results: a) Plaque removal study: Brushing with the new oral care support instrument removed significantly more plaque than with the Plak Control D9011. b) Clinical study: The new oral care support instrument allows a more effective removal of dental plaque and shows a significant improvement in the gingival indices in dependent elderly. Conclusion: It is concluded that the new oral care support instrument is effective and can be recommended for oral care in the dependent elderly.
A study on the effects of short‐, medium‐ and long‐term professional oral care in elderly persons requiring long‐term nursing care at a chronic or maintenance stage of illness
Authors: Ueda Koichiro , Toyosato Akira , Nomura Shuichi
Published: December 2003

Objective: The purpose of the present study is to clarify the frequency of provision of effective professional oral care by dental health workers in order to improve the oral hygiene state of elderly persons requiring long‐term care. Methods: In 105 patients requiring long‐term nursing care, 55 subjects with positive oral Candida albicans were divided into five groups according to the frequency of oral care intervention at intervals of 1, 2, 3, 4 and 6 weeks. The effects of professional oral care on the improvement of the oral hygiene state were investigated taking the frequency and duration of care into consideration. Results: The results showed that oral hygienic condition could be improved by performing professional oral care at intervals of 1 week for 12 consecutive weeks, and the improved condition could be maintained when professional oral care was continued at intervals of 1 week thereafter. Conclusion: It is necessary to continue professional oral care at intervals of 1 week for 12 consecutive weeks and at intervals of 2 weeks for more than 20 weeks. The oral hygiene state could be improved by professional intervention at intervals of three or four weeks in long‐term oral care, but this was limited to subjects whose Functional Independence Measure (FIM) scores were higher than 3.
Extended Formulary Nurse Prescribing – another saliva substitute roadblock
Authors: Price M.
Published: December 2003

United Kingdom family physicians, General Practitioners (GPs), are allowed to prescribe from a Department of Health‐approved list of non‐medicines (the ‘ACES’ list) which includes a majority of proprietary saliva substitutes. Independent nurse prescribing, introduced in 2001, has improved patient access to effective remedies for a wide range of common medical problems. Further qualified ‘extended formulary nurse prescribers’ have access to a limited range of prescription medicines, and all non‐prescription medicines that GPs may currently prescribe. Despite their specified role in the management of oral complications encountered in palliative care, a similar anomaly in NHS rules that prevents dental practitioners from prescribing ACBS listed saliva substitutes also prevents nurses from prescribing them. Sadly, patients are suffering poorer access to simple and effective remedies to conditions such as xerostomia – a condition that has recognised impact on their quality of life.
Integrating HIV Risk Reduction into Family Programs for Women Offenders: A Family Relationship Perspective
Authors: Poehlmann Julie , White Tiffany , Bjerke Kathryn
Published: December 2003

Although HIV risk reduction interventions and family programs are crucial elements of the rehabilitation process for women offenders, these programs have operated in isolation from each other. HIV interventions for women offenders have not attended to family relationships, and family programs for women offenders have not focused on HIV‐related issues. Because the number of women under correctional sanction has increased dramatically and HIV infection and risk for HIV infection in women offenders are growing concerns, we argue that family programs need to consider HIV‐related issues within a family relationship perspective.
Gaining a Child: Comparing the Experiences of Biological Parents, Adoptive Parents, and Stepparents
Authors: Ceballo Rosario , Lansford Jennifer E. , Abbey Antonia , Stewart Abigail J.
Published: December 2003

This study compares the experience of gaining a child through birth, adoption, or marriage, extending the focus of investigation beyond biological parenthood and the transition made by first‐time parents. Using a subsample from the National Survey of Families and Households (N = 204), we compared reasons for having children, parental well‐being, family relationships, and work roles among parents who gained a child biologically, through adoption, or by becoming a stepparent. Overall, there were many similarities in the impact of gaining a child across the three parental groups. Repeated measures analyses of covariance showed that across family groups, after gaining a child, respondents reported less depressed affect, more disagreements with their spouse, and more support from their own parents. The differences across groups suggest that the experience of becoming an adoptive parent or a stepparent may be less stressful than the adjustment to biological parenthood.
Divided Families: Impact of Religious Difference and Geographic Distance on Intergenerational Family Continuity*
Authors: Sands Roberta G. , Roer‐Strier Dorit
Published: December 2003

We examine the effects of an adult member's religious difference and geographic distance on intergenerational family continuity, using the case example of American Jewish mothers with daughters who became Orthodox and moved to Israel. Using qualitative data from a focus group with 6 women who became Orthodox and moved to Israel and separate interviews with 14 Israeli American daughters and their 14 respective American mothers, we found that initially mothers were negative about their daughters’ religiosity but positive about their moves to Israel. Over time, mothers became more positive or ambivalent about their daughters’ religiosity but more negative or ambivalent about their immigration. The religious difference and distance helped daughters separate and individuate. Despite feelings of loss, mothers maintained intergenerational family continuity.
Portrait of DNA's Protector
Authors: Leslie Mitch
Published: December 2003

Cells can't stash their DNA in a lead-lined safe, but they deploy other defenses to protect their genetic material from damage that provokes cancer. A new study provides the first detailed picture of an enzyme that forestalls DNA injuries. The findings could help researchers uncover how this protein shields genes; the authors hypothesize that it serves as an early warning system for DNA-damaging conditions.
Phosphate Fast
Authors: Davenport R. John
Published: December 2003

Short-circuiting a protein's shutoff switch helps mice fight diabetes, according to a new study. The results reveal the importance of the toggle in living animals and could lead to improved treatments that dampen the side effects of existing antidiabetes drugs.
Quench a Burning Heart
Authors: Leslie Mitch
Published: December 2003

Like a flame slowly burning through a piece of wood, inflammation gnaws at the heart, sapping its pumping power. A new study suggests that a protective protein fashioned by the heart works by quashing an inflammation-sparking molecule. The finding could guide researchers to treatments that prevent heart failure, the number one cardiac killer among the elderly.
DBA/2 Mouse
Authors: Holmes Donna J.
Published: December 2003

This document contains a summary of the biological characteristics of the DBA/2 mouse. This strain is available from the National Institute on Aging.
The Many Ways of Forgetting
Authors: Leslie Mitch
Published: December 2003

If you walk into a room but suddenly forget why, a different brain area falters than when you fail to recognize the cashier at JCPenney as your senior prom date. The two regions not only stow different information, but they age differently, according to a new study. The work shows that prodding a pathway crucial for memory evokes opposite responses in the two regions, suggesting that drugs under development to spur long-term recall in older folks could hinder other types of remembering.
On the Memory of a Chronic Illness
Authors: Goldschmidt-Clermont Pascal J. , Peterson Eric D.
Published: December 2003

The elderly are particularly susceptible to disease, yet the biological mechanisms that bring about this susceptibility remain unclear. Using atherosclerosis as a model chronic illness, we review how recent studies of bone marrow-derived vascular repair systems in mice and humans provide new insights into the causes and potential cures for age-related illness. Organisms are born with a finite capacity for stem cell-mediated repair after chronic exposure to tissue injury. Once that capacity is exhausted, a cycle of pathological inflammation ensues and leads to overt disease manifestations. Augmentation of stem cell-mediated repair systems may provide a novel means of treating or preventing many age-related illnesses.
Centenarian Advantage
Authors: Beckman Mary
Published: December 2003

In addition to genes for eye color and high IQ, future parents designing their children might want to include this one: a longevity promoter. New work has zeroed in on a gene that helps humans package cholesterol and controls aging. Although some experts question the generality of the paper's conclusion, the result fits with other work showing that lipid metabolism affects mortality.
Whodunit?
Authors: Davenport R. John
Published: December 2003

NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA
--In a brain-cell murder mystery, a prime suspect has turned out to be a hero, according to work presented here 8 and 11 November 2003 at the Society for Neuroscience Annual Meeting. A molecule produced by an enzyme implicated in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and other neurodegenerative diseases protects rather than harms neurons. The observation suggests possible new treatments for ALS, stroke, and other conditions that kill nerve cells.
Sarcopenia--A Critical Perspective
Authors: Hepple Russell T.
Published: December 2003

Aging is associated with a progressive decline in skeletal muscle mass and function (sarocopenia). Despite several years of research, controversy exists regarding the manifestations and causes of sarcopenia. In the former respect, whereas a preferential loss of so-called "fast-twitch" muscle fibers occurs in rat models of aging, this appears unlikely in human skeletal muscle. In the latter respect, whereas a decline in physical activity with aging contributes to whole-muscle atrophy, it cannot explain the marked heterogeneity in muscle fiber size seen in aged muscles. Similarly, systemic alterations, such as reduced blood levels of anabolic hormones and nutritional deficits, although involved in modulating the degree of whole-muscle atrophy, cannot explain the observation that only some fibers atrophy and die while most appear unaffected. A further significant question remaining is that if death of some muscle fibers is normal and perhaps advantageous (that is, by removing malfunctioning cells), what is the capacity for muscle fiber regeneration in adult skeletal muscle and can this process be augmented in aging muscles?
Rising Expectations
Authors: Leslie Mitch
Published: December 2003

During the 1900s, life expectancy climbed steeply and mortality fell precipitously. In trying to predict whether these trends will continue during this century, demographers come up with widely varying life expectancy increases, from a few years to more than a decade. The differences among estimates often come down to basic assumptions. For example, some researchers favor extrapolation, which projects past conditions into the future; however, that approach provides solid answers only if trends continue. Other researchers and institutions, such as the Social Security Administration, hold that experts' judgment about future medical advances, economic conditions, and other factors should take precedence, although such methods often give the greatest weight to subjective assessments.
Linking Development and Aging
Authors: Zwaan Bas J.
Published: December 2003

Evolutionary theory predicts that the different life stages of organisms are coordinated to achieve maximal reproductive output. Moreover, aging can be seen as an evolutionary side effect of this selective process that applies to many living organisms. Hence, genetic, developmental, and physiological mechanisms resulting from this selection are expected to be conserved in diverse lineages. The insulin/insulin-like growth factor signaling (INS) pathway appears to be such a mechanism that regulates life span and reproduction in a variety of model organisms. Here I argue that the experimental tools of environmental manipulation and gene by environment interaction should be used more often both during the experimental organism's development and its adult life. This approach will help us to fully understand the functions of longevity-determining pathways and will determine the life stages during which these pathways exert their effects on adult life. These points are raised because of a recent
Aging Cell
publication by Tu and Tatar, in which the larval food environment was manipulated to determine the effects on adult reproduction, life span, aging, and INS. The results of this study are a promise of the usefulness of this approach for understanding the aging process.
Longevity Island
Authors: Beckman Mary
Published: December 2003

SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA
--The biggest hunk might outlast everyone else on a reality TV island, but the leanest people persevere on a real one. Those who grew up before 1972 on the island of Okinawa, a district of Japan, lived longer than those raised elsewhere in Japan, and new research presented here 23 November 2003 at the Gerontological Society of America annual meeting suggests why: They ate fewer calories as children. When the Okinawan diet started resembling that in the rest of Japan, mortality increased accordingly.
Battle Scars
Authors: Leslie Mitch
Published: December 2003

Senior citizens who continually misplace their glasses can still recall childhood episodes in vivid detail. The immune system's "memory" seems to age similarly, according to new work. The study shows that immunological memories etched early in life persist, but those established in old age fade. The findings could explain why vaccines often are ineffective in older folks.
Power to the People
Authors: Davenport R. John
Published: December 2003

Mutations that cripple a molecular relay system similar to the mammalian insulin and insulin-like growth factor 1 signaling pathways enhance longevity in worms and flies. The pathways appear to influence mammalian life span as well, but that idea is far from proven. Now, rare genetic perturbations in those signals are opening a window onto how the pathways influence human aging. And new studies on rodents with similar genetic snafus might help scientists ink in the connections.
Catalase and Mouse
Authors: Leslie Mitch
Published: December 2003

SCOTTSDALE, ARIZONA
--Judging by their consumption of vitamin E supplements and antioxidant-packed foods such as blueberries, Americans have swallowed the idea that reactive oxygen species drive aging. Researchers aren't so sure, but new work gives the notion a boost. Mice that produce extra amounts of an enzyme that squelches oxidants survive longer, according to research presented here on 11 December at the Phoenix Conference on Longevity Health Sciences. The study is one of the few to address the role of antioxidant enzymes in mammalian aging by increasing rather than slashing their output.
Kinesin Walks Hand-Over-Hand
Authors: Yildiz Ahmet , Tomishige Michio , Vale Ronald D. , Selvin Paul R.
Published: December 2003

Kinesin is a processive motor that takes 8.3-nm center-of-mass steps along microtubules for each adenosine triphosphate hydrolyzed. Whether kinesin moves by a “hand-over-hand” or an “inchworm” model has been controversial. We have labeled a single head of the kinesin dimer with a Cy3 fluorophore and localized the position of the dye to within 2 nm before and after a step. We observed that single kinesin heads take steps of 17.3 ± 3.3 nm. A kinetic analysis of the dwell times between steps shows that the 17-nm steps alternate with 0-nm steps. These results strongly support a hand-over-hand mechanism, and not an inchworm mechanism. In addition, our results suggest that kinesin is bound by both heads to the microtubule while it waits for adenosine triphosphate in between steps.
The Canonical Jasmonate Signaling Pathway
Authors: Liechti Robin , Farmer Edward E.
Published: December 2003

Jasmonates in plants are cyclic fatty acid-derived regulators structurally similar to prostaglandins in metazoans. These chemicals mediate many of plants' transcriptional responses to wounding and pathogenesis by acting as potent regulators for the expression of numerous frontline immune response genes, including defensins and antifungal proteins. Additionally, the pathway is critical for fertility. Ongoing genetic screens and protein-protein interaction assays are identifying components of the canonical jasmonate signaling pathway. A massive molecular machine, based on two multiprotein complexes [SCF
COI1
and the COP9 signalosome (CNS)], plays a central role in jasmonate signaling. This machine functions in vivo as a ubiquitin ligase complex, probably targeting regulatory proteins, some of which are expected to be transcriptional repressors. Some defense-related mediators, notably salicylic acid, antagonize jasmonates in controlling the expression of many genes. In
Arabidopsis
, NPR1 mediates part of this interaction, with another layer of control provided further downstream by the mitogen-activated protein kinase homolog MPK4. Numerous other interpathway connections influence the jasmonate pathway. Insights from
Arabidopsis
showed that an allele of the auxin signaling gene
AXR1
, for example, reduces the sensitivity of plants to jasmonate. AP2-domain transcription factors, such as ERF1, link the jasmonate pathway to the ethylene signaling pathway. As progress in characterizing several new mutants (some of which are hypersensitive to jasmonic acid) augments our understanding of jasmonate signaling, the Connections Map will be updated to include this new information.

Science
Viewpoint

R. Liechti, E. E. Farmer, The jasmonate pathway.
Science
296
, 1649-1650 (2002). [
Abstract
] [
Full Text
]
The Jasmonate Signaling Pathway in
Arabidopsis
Authors: Liechti Robin , Farmer Edward E.
Published: December 2003

Jasmonates control defense gene expression and male fertility in the model plant
Arabidopsis thaliana
. In both cases, the involvement of the jasmonate pathway is complex, involving large-scale transcriptional reprogramming. Additionally, jasmonate signaling is hard-wired into the auxin, ethylene, and salicylate signal networks, all of which are under intense investigation in
Arabidopsis
. In male fertility, jasmonic acid (JA) is the essential signal intervening both at the level of anther elongation, as well as in pollen dehiscense. A number of genes potentially involved in jasmonate-dependent anther elongation have recently been discovered. In the case of defense, at least two jasmonates, JA and its precursor OPDA, are necessary for the fine-tuning of defense gene expression in response to various microbial pathogens and arthropod herbivores. However, only OPDA is required for full resistance to some insects and fungi. Other jasmonates probably affect yet more physiological responses. A series of breakthroughs have identified the SCF
COI1
complex, acting together with the COP9 signalsome, as a central regulatory component of jasmonate signaling in
Arabidopsis
. The studies, mostly involving mutational approaches, have paved the way for suppressor screens that are expected to further extend our knowledge of jasmonate signaling. When these and other new mutants affecting jasmonate signaling are characterized, new nodes will be added to the Connections Map, and the lists of target genes regulated by jasmonates in
Arabidopsis
will be expanded.

Science
Viewpoint

R. Liechti, E. E. Farmer, The jasmonate pathway.
Science
296
, 1649-1650 (2002). [
Abstract
] [
Full Text
]
The Jasmonate Biochemical Pathway
Authors: Liechti Robin , Farmer Edward E.
Published: December 2003

Plants possess an interrelated and interacting family of potent fatty acid-derived regulators--the jasmonates. These compounds, which play roles in both defense and development, are derived from tri-unsaturated fatty acids [α-linolenic acid (18:3) or 7Z,10Z,13Z-hexadecatrienoic acid (16:3)]. The lipoxygenase-catalyzed addition of molecular oxygen to α-linolenic acid initiates jasmonate synthesis by providing a 13-hydroperoxide substrate for the formation of an unstable allene oxide that is then subject to enzyme-guided cyclization to produce 12-oxo-phytodienoic acid (OPDA). OPDA, a key regulatory lipid in the plant immune system, has several fates, including esterification into plastid lipids or transformation into the 12-carbon co-regulator jasmonic acid (JA). JA, the best-characterized member of the family, regulates both male and female fertility (depending on the plant species), and is an important mediator of defense gene expresssion. JA is itself a substrate for further diverse modifications. Genetic dissection of the pathway is revealing how the different jasmonates modulate different physiological processes. Each new family member that is discovered provides another key to understanding the fine control of gene expression in immune responses, in the initiation and maintenance of long-distance signal transfer in response to wounding, and in the regulation of fertility, among other processes. The Jasmonate Biochemical Pathway provides an overview of the growing jasmonate family, and new members will be included in future versions of the Connections Map.

Science
Viewpoint

R. Liechti, E. E. Farmer, The jasmonate pathway.
Science
296
, 1649-1650 (2002). [
Abstract
] [
Full Text
]
Finally, Proof of Weapons of Mass Destruction
Authors: Baldwin Ian T.
Published: December 2003

Allelopathy (one species' use of chemicals to harm other species) may be a key ingredient in successful invasions of alien plants into established communities. Bais
et al
. show that in response to elicitation by common soil fungi, spotted knapweed (
Centaurea maculosa
) launches an ineffective defense against the fungi that results in extensive collateral damage to neighboring plants. Specifically, the flavonoid (–)-catechin, released from the roots of knapweed, produces a massive reactive oxygen species (ROS)-mediated oxidative burst, Ca
2+
signaling, and rapid cell death in those unadapted native species whose habitats the plant regularly invades. The roots release both (+) and (–) enantiomers, but only the (–) enantiomer functions as a weapon of mass destruction; the (+) enantiomer inhibits the growth of numerous common soil-borne bacterial pathogens. Eliciting apoptotic response for a competitive advantage is an example of signal cross-talk between the genomes of interacting organisms and highlights how the internal signaling of one organism can be used by others to adjust their phenotypes in an adaptive manner. The study provides strong circumstantial evidence for an allelopathic interaction, but the genetic manipulation of (–)-catechin release would allow researchers to determine if these responses occur in nature. Precise genetic control over the release of secondary metabolites from plants would benefit ecological research.