bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The Effects of Confidence and Advisor Motives on Advice Utilization
Authors: Van Swol Lyn M.
Published: October 2009

This article examined the premises of interpersonal deception theory (IDT) within an advice-giving context. Advisors with quality and persuasion goals provided advice concerning stock rankings to decision makers either primed or not primed to be suspicious of advisors’ motives. Two competing hypotheses were proposed. First, suspicious decision makers were predicted to accept less advice from all advisors and be no more likely to detect advisors’ motives than nonsuspicious decision makers. Second, suspicious decision makers were predicted to be better able to detect the motives of advisors and accept less advice from the advisor with the persuasive motive than nonsuspicious decision makers. The first hypothesis was supported. The persuasive advisor had significantly higher confidence than the quality advisor on the rankings used to give advice, although not on private rankings. Advisors’ confidence on these rankings fully mediated their influence on the decision maker.
Neighborhood Disadvantage, Residential Stability, and Perceptions of Instrumental Support Among New Mothers
Authors: Turney Kristin , Harknett Kristen
Published: October 2009

Using longitudinal data from the Fragile Families and Child Wellbeing survey ( N = 4,211), this study examines neighborhood disadvantage and perceptions of instrumental support among mothers with young children. The authors find that (a) living in a disadvantaged neighborhood is associated with less instrumental support, particularly financial assistance, from family and friends; (b) residential stability is associated with stronger personal safety nets irrespective of neighborhood quality; and (c) mothers who move to a more disadvantaged neighborhood experience a small but significant decline in perceived instrumental support compared with those who do not move. In interpreting these results, the authors suggest instrumental support may be either a cause or consequence of living in an advantaged neighborhood, but in either case, neighborhood and social network disadvantages go hand in hand.
What Happened in the Balkans (or Rather ex—Yugoslavia)?
Authors: Banac Ivo
Published: October 2009

How Milošević’s empire-building completed the process of national homogenization in the successor states of Yugoslavia and brought this part of the Balkan region in conformity with the modernity’s prescription of national statehood.
Cardiac biomarkers in a model of acute catecholamine cardiotoxicity
Authors: Mladěnka Přemysl , Hrdina Radomír , Bobrovová Zuzana , Semecký Vladimír , Vávrová Jaroslava , Holečková Magdaléna , Palicka Vladimir , Mazurová Yvona , Nachtigal Petr
Published: October 2009

Coronary heart disease and in particular its most serious form — acute myocardial infarction (AMI) — represents the most common cause of mortality in developed countries. Better prognosis may be achieved by understanding the etiopathogenetic mechanisms of AMI. Therefore, a catecholamine model of myocardial injury, which has appeared to be very similar to AMI in human in some aspect, was used. Male Wistar:Han rats were randomly divided into two groups: control group (saline) and isoprenaline group (ISO; synthetic catecholamine, 100 mg.kg— 1 subcutaneously [s.c.]). After 24 hours, functional parameters were measured, biochemical markers in the blood and metals content in the heart tissue were analysed and histological examination was performed. ISO caused marked myocardial injury that was associated with myocardial calcium overload. Close correlation between myocardial impairment (i.e. serum TnT, stroke volume index and wet ventricles weight) and the levels of myocardial calcium was observed. Direct reactive oxygen species (ROS) involvement was documented only by non-significant increase in malonyldialdehyde 24 hours after ISO injury. Moreover, myocardial element analysis revealed no significant changes as for the content of zinc and iron while selenium and copper increased in the ISO group although it reached statistical significance only for the latter.
Spider bite (latrodectism) in Mashhad, Iran
Authors: Afshari R. , Khadem-Rezaiyan M. , Balali-Mood M.
Published: October 2009

Background: Spider (Latrodectus tredecimguttatus) bites are relatively common in North East Iran. They induce morbidity and rarely mortality. We aimed to investigate clinical, electrocardiographic and para-clinical changes in patients with this bite. Methods: All consecutive patients admitted with suspected spider bites between September 2005 and September 2006 were studied prospectively. Results: Spider bites accounted for 56 cases (0.5% of all poisoning, 21% of all admitted envenomated). The patients’ mean (SD) age was 32 (16) years. The most common findings were pain (90%) mainly in their back (45%), stomach (35%), lower limbs (33%), upper limbs (19%) and chest (14%). Other clinical findings included were sweating (55%), chills (29%), dyspnea (25%), flushing (14%), spasm (12%), headache (12%), nausea (12%) and vertigo (12%). On electrocardiograph (ECG); ST segments were depressed in 25% of cases in at least two of the pre-cordial leads. Laboratory findings were in normal ranges. All the patients recovered following supportive and symptomatic treatment (no anti-toxin available in Iran), with a mean hospitalization period of 1.9 (1.3) days. Conclusions: Spider (L. Tredecimguttatus) bite is relatively common in Mashhad, which induces latrodectism with relatively different findings and cardiac toxicity. ECG monitoring should be considered, particularly when specific anti-toxin is not available.
Attenuation of Helicteres isora L. bark extracts on streptozotocin-induced alterations in glycogen and carbohydrate metabolism in albino rats
Authors: Kumar G. , Sharmila Banu G. , Murugesan AG
Published: October 2009

The present study was undertaken to assess the effect of Helicteres isora L. on four important enzymes of carbohydrate metabolism (glucokinase [GK], hexokinase [HK] phosphofructokinase [PFK] and fructose-1, 6-bisphosphatase [FBP]) along with glycogen content of insulin-dependent (skeletal muscle and liver) and insulin-independent tissues (kidneys and brain) in streptozotocin (STZ; 60 mg/kg)-induced model of diabetes for 30 days. Administration of bark extracts (100, 200 mg/kg) for 30 days led to decrease in plasma glucose levels by approximately 9.60% and 22.04% and 19.18% and 33.93% on 15th and 30th day, respectively, of the experiment. Liver and two-kidney weight expressed as percentage of body weight significantly increased in diabetics (P < 0.05) versus normal controls. Renal glycogen content increased by 10 folds while hepatic and skeletal muscle glycogen content decreased by 75% and 68% in diabetic controls versus controls. H. isora did not affect glycogen content in any tissue. The decreased activities of PFK, GK, FBP and HK in diabetic controls were 40%, 50%, 50% and 60% and bark extract of H. isora partially corrected this alteration. The efficacy of the bark extract was comparable with Tolbutamide, a well-known hypoglycemic drug.
Severe acetaminophen poisoning treated with a fractionated plasma separation and absorption system: A case report
Authors: Sebe Ahmet , Satar Salim , Rana Alpay N. , Murt Mesude , Güvenç Birol
Published: October 2009

Acetaminophen is an analgesic drug that is frequently used in suicide attempts. In this paper, we report on a 17-year-old girl who was admitted to an emergency department 15 hours after taking acetaminophen pills in a suicide attempt. Her serum acetaminophen level was 73 mg/L on admission; she had elevated liver enzymes suggesting hepatic necrosis. She was started on N-acetyl cystein (NAC), and treated successfully with a fractionated plasma separation and absorption system.
A Probabilistic Mechanical Model for Simulating the Fatigue Failure Process in Metals
Authors: Guralnick Sidney A. , Mohammadi Jamshid , Kephart Amy M.
Published: October 2009

A model for simulating fatigue damage accumulation and the fatigue failure process in metals is presented. The simulation is achieved by modeling material behavior with a series of nonlinear mechanical springs with randomized behavior. With each applied stress, a certain number of springs rupture. The damage accumulation process is modeled by the number of springs that have ruptured during the entire stress application cycle. When a sufficiently large number of springs rupture, the entire system is considered to have failed. This constitutes fatigue failure. This article follows two previous publications by the first two authors and extends the model further by incorporating additional random variables, investigating the significance of uncertainty in the spring behavior and simulation of the hysteresis behavior of metals during the fatigue damage accumulation process. Results similar to (1) the Wöhler S—N curve and (2) the hysteresis loss versus the number of stress cycle relationship, observed in laboratory testing of metal specimens, are presented.
Child Mental Health Problems as Risk Factors for Victimization
Authors: Turner Heather A. , Finkelhor David , Ormrod Richard
Published: October 2009

The current study examines the effects of child internalizing and externalizing symptoms on increases in victimization over a 1-year period. Using longitudinal data from the Developmental Victimization Survey (DVS), analyses are based on a national probability sample of 1,467 children aged 2—17. Results indicate that children with high levels of co-occurring internalizing and externalizing symptoms were particularly likely to experience increased exposure to several forms of victimization, including peer victimization, maltreatment, and sexual victimization, controlling for earlier victimization and adversity. The relationship of symptoms to victimization exposure differed across developmental stage. Elementary school-age children with high levels of symptoms were especially vulnerable to victimization by peers, whereas distressed youth in early adolescence were particularly vulnerable to sexual victimization. Mental health problems in childhood and adolescence appear to represent important risk factors for increased victimization. Future interventions might consider targeting youth with co-occurring internalizing and externalizing symptoms during especially vulnerable developmental stages.
Unequal Return: The Uneven Resettlements of New Orleans’ Uptown Neighborhoods
Authors: Elliott James R. , Bellone Hite Amy , Devine Joel A.
Published: October 2009

This article examines early resettlement of four neighborhoods in New Orleans’ Uptown district, which was among the first areas to officially reopen for residential return. Drawing on survey data collected from more than 400 households, results show that even in relatively unflooded sections of town, racial and class disparities shaped early returns and accumulated to the disadvantage of African American residents of the city. A key mechanism behind this cumulative disadvantage was that neighborhoods that were predominantly White were disproportionately spared by flooding from the disaster and, consequently, better positioned to host displaced residents from more damaged parts of New Orleans. Because racial boundaries shape housing and social aid networks, White residents from damaged parts of the city became more likely to relocate to these early areas of resettlement, allowing White residents as a whole to play a disproportionate role in the city’s early planning and recovery efforts.
Risk Amid Recovery: Occupational Health and Safety of Latino Day Laborers in the Aftermath of the Gulf Coast Hurricanes
Authors: Delp Linda , Podolsky Laura , Aguilar Tomás
Published: October 2009

After Katrina, the Bush administration suspended Department of Labor workplace regulations throughout the Gulf, a move consistent with their general emphasis on voluntary workplace protection programs rather than government oversight. This approach left many workers in hurricane reconstruction jobs unprotected, especially Latino immigrant day laborers who, facing language barriers and legal constraints, were least able to negotiate workplace safety or other labor conditions. Fifty-three immigrant workers and 28 key informants from community, union, church, and relief organizations in Louisiana and Mississippi were interviewed at job hiring sites and relief organizations using an inductive, exploratory approach. In this multihazard and changing work environment with a new and fluctuating workforce, enforceable policies mandating worker protection and education were sorely lacking. Free market conditions, driven by incentives to work as fast as possible, and the preponderance of unregulated small contractors and individual home owners as employers contributed to the unsafe environment. Although workers and home owners attempted to take precautions, they usually lacked adequate education about hazards, access to protective equipment, and training in its proper use. However, the labor conditions during the hurricane recovery in the Gulf Coast are likely to be duplicated throughout the country in workplaces employing Latino day laborers unless workers’ health is given greater priority by regulatory agencies.
Predictive Modeling of a Mixture of Thyroid Hormone Disrupting Chemicals That Affect Production and Clearance of Thyroxine
Authors: Flippin J. L. , Hedge J. M. , DeVito M. J. , LeBlanc G. A. , Crofton K. M.
Published: October 2009

Thyroid hormone (TH) disrupting compounds interfere with both thyroidal and extrathyroidal mechanisms to decrease circulating thyroxine (T4). This research tested the hypothesis that serum T4concentrations of rodents exposed to a mixture of both TH synthesis inhibitors (pesticides) and stimulators of T4clearance in the liver (polyhalogenated aromatic hydrocarbons, PHAHs) could be best predicted by an integrated addition model. Female Long-Evans rats, 23 days of age, were dosed with dilutions of a mixture of 18 PHAHs (2 dioxins, 4 dibenzofurans, and 12 PCBs, including dioxin-like and non-dioxin like PCBs) and a mixture of 3 pesticides (thiram, pronamide, and mancozeb) for four consecutive days. Serum was collected 24 hours after the last exposure and T4concentrations were measured by radioimmunoassay. Animals exposed to the highest dose of the mixture experienced a 45% decrease in serum T4. Three additivity model predictions (dose addition, effect addition, and integrated addition) were generated based on single chemical data, and the results were compared. Effect addition overestimated the effect produced by the combination of all 21 chemicals. The results of the dose- and integrated-addition models were similar, and both provided better predictions than the effect-addition model. These results support the use of dose- and integrated additivity models in predicting the effects of complex mixtures.
Di (n-butyl) Phthalate Inhibits Testosterone Synthesis Through a Glucocorticoid-Mediated Pathway in Rats
Authors: Xiao-feng Zhang , Nai-qiang Qu , Jing Zheng , Zi Li , Yang Zhang
Published: October 2009

The present study focused on investigating whether the inhibitory effect of di (n-butyl) phthalate (DBP) on testosterone (T) biosynthesis was mediated by the glucocorticoid (GC) pathway in prepubertal male rats and T production after the exposure to DBP ceased. Prepubertal male rats were administered DBP in corn oil orally at 0, 250, 500, 1000, and 2000 mg/kg daily for 30 days. Serum T and GC were measured by radioimmunoassay and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, respectively. The responses, including glucocorticoid receptor (GR), type I 11β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase (11β-HSD1), and steroidogenesis acute regulatory protein (StAR) in the testes tissues, were determined by Western blotting and reverse transcriptase PCR. DBP exposure resulted in testicular toxicity, such as seminiferous tubule degeneration and a decrease in the number of spermatogenic cells. T was decreased and GC was increased in a DBP concentration-dependent manner in the exposure group. The expression of GR and 11β-HSD1 was significantly increased, with an associated decrease in expression of StAR. Neither the expression of the GR nor 11β-HSD1 and StAR were statistically significantly different in the postexposure group compared with the control. However, the weight and morphology of the testes did not recover in the postexposure group. These data suggest that DBP inhibits testosterone production through a GC-mediated pathway in prepubertal male rats, and after exposure to DBP ceases, testosterone biosynthesis returns.
In Vivo Acute Exposure to Polychlorinated Biphenyls: Effects on Free and Total Thyroxine in Rats
Authors: Hedge J. M. , DeVito M. J. , Crofton K. M.
Published: October 2009

Hypothyroxinemia in rats has been well documented as a result of exposure to polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs). Hypothetical mechanisms include induction of hepatic catabolic enzymes and cellular hormone transporters, and/or interference with plasma transport proteins. We hypothesized that if thyroxine displacement from transport proteins by PCBs occurs in vivo, it would result in increased free thyroxine (FT4). This study investigates the effects of a single oral dose of 2,2’,4,4’,5,5'-hexachlorobiphenyl (PCB 153 at 60 mg/kg) or 3,3’,4,4’,5,5'-hexachlorobiphenyl (PCB 169 at 1 mg/kg) on rats at 28 or 76 days of age. Total thyroxine (TT4) and FT4 were measured at 0.5, 1, 2, 4, 8, 24, or 48 hours post -dosing. Microsomal ethoxy- and pentoxy-resorufin-O-deethylase (EROD and PROD) activity and uridine diphosphoglucuronosyl transferase (UGT) activity were determined. No significant increase in TT4 or FT4 concentrations was seen at any time point. PCB 153 significantly decreased TT4 and FT4 in young and adult rats, with young rats showing a time-by-treatment interaction from 2 to 48 hours post -dosing in serum FT4. With PCB 169 exposure, young rats showed a decrease in FT4 only, whereas adult rats showed decreases in TT4 only. Hepatic EROD and PROD activities were both dramatically increased following PCB 169 and 153, respectively. Uridine diphosphoglucuronosyl transferase activity was increased only after PCB 169 exposure. These data demonstrate that neither PCB 153 nor PCB169 increased FT4, which supports the conclusion that these PCBs do not displace thyroxine from serum TTR, or if it does occur, there is no subsequent increase in serum FT4 in vivo.
Hospice Access for Individuals With Dementia
Authors: McCarty Catherine Elizabeth , Volicer Ladislav
Published: October 2009

Involvement in a hospice program is important because it may allow individuals with dementia to delay or prevent institutionalization as well as provide psychosocial support for their families. Once used mostly by patients with a terminal cancer, now more than one half of the hospice patients have diagnoses other than cancer. Yet hospice is still underused for individuals dying with advanced dementia. We conducted a pilot study of hospice agencies to determine barriers and characteristics of dementia hospice enrollment. Using a mailed questionnaire and interview, we looked at demographics, accessibility, training, referral sources, and marketing. Our analysis divided the agencies based on dementia census and availability to non-Medicare eligible individuals. Results showed hospices having Bridge and Transition programs had on average 4 times higher Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and dementia census than hospices without these programs. The highest rated barriers to hospice use for individuals with dementia were prognosis, education, and finance.
Inhibition of Viral Carcinogenesis by Phyllanthus amarus
Authors: Harikumar Kuzhuvelil B. , Kuttan Girija , Kuttan Ramadasan
Published: October 2009

Friend murine leukemia virus (FMuLv) is an acutely oncogenic retrovirus, and its infection leads to erythroblastosis and leukemia in mice. This infection model is used in the search for new antiviral agents. In the present study, the authors have evaluated the potential of an extract of Phyllanthus amarus against FMuLv-induced erythroleukemia in BALB/c mice. Injection of newborn mice with FMuLv resulted in leukemia and animals died due to splenomegaly. Oral administration of P.amarus was found to enhance the life span of leukemia-harboring animals and decrease the incidence of anemia. The authors also performed a series of hematological, biochemical, histopathological, and gene expression analyses to evaluate the effect of P.amarus administration on erythroleukemia initiation and progression. The data obtained indicate that P.amarus administration could significantly decrease the progression of erythroleukemia. Treatment with P.amarus induced the expression of p53 and p45NFE2 and decreased the expression of Bcl-2 in the spleen of infected mice. Histopathological evaluations of the spleen demonstrated that administration of P.amarus decreased the infiltration of leukemic cells into the sinusoidal space when compared with the vehicle treated group. P.amarus is known to inhibit chemically induced neoplasm in different rodent models.The current results indicate that P.amarus has the ability to suppress virally induced cancers as well.
Anticancer Activity of an Indian Medicinal Plant, Alstonia scholaris, on Skin Carcinogenesis in Mice
Authors: Jahan Swafiya , Chaudhary Ranu , Goyal Pradeep Kumar
Published: October 2009

Alstonia scholaris, commonly known as sapthaparna, has been used for centuries in Ayurvedic medicine for treatment of various disorders. The objective of this study was to investigate the possible chemopreventive and anti-oxidative properties of this medicinal plant on two-stage process of skin carcinogenesis induced by a single application of 7, 12-dimethyabenz(a)anthrecene (100 lg/100 ll acetone), and two weeks later, promoted by repeated application of croton oil (1% in acetone/thrice a week) till the end of the experiment (16 weeks) in Swiss albino mice.The tumor incidence, tumor yield, tumor burden and cumulative number of papillomas were found to be higher in the carcinogen treated control (without ASE treatment) as compared to experimental animals (ASE treated). Furthermore, a significant increase in reduced glutathione, superoxide dismutase and catalase but decrease in lipid peroxidation was measured in ASE administered experimental groups than the carcinogen treated control. The present study demonstrates the chemopreventive potential of Alstonia scholaris bark extract in DMBA-induced skin tumorigenesis in Swiss albino mice.
Sonodynamic and Photodynamic Therapy in Advanced Breast Carcinoma: A Report of 3 Cases
Authors: Wang Xiaohuai , Zhang Weimin , Xu Zhiyong , Luo Yifan , Mitchell Doug , Moss Ralph W.
Published: October 2009

Photodynamic therapy (PDT) is an established therapeutic method, first approved by the FDA for certain kinds of cancer in 1998. There are also increasing data to show that a related procedure, sonodynamic therapy (SDT), is a promising new modality for cancer treatment. Here, the authors report clinical results in 3 advanced refractory breast cancer patients who were treated using a combination of sonodynamic and photodynamic therapy (SPDT), along with conventional therapies. All 3 patients had pathologically proven metastatic breast carcinoma. These widely disseminated carcinomas had ultimately failed to respond to conventional therapy. A new sensitizing agent, Sonoflora 1™ (SF1) was administered sublingually; then, after a 24-hour delay, patients were treated with a combination of light and ultrasound. All patients had significant partial or complete responses. SPDT is a promising new therapeutic combination for the treatment of breast cancer.
Developing Effective P-20 Partnerships to Benefit Chicano/Latino Students and Families
Authors: Moran Carrol , Cooper Catherine R. , López Angélica , Goza Barbara
Published: October 2009

To consider how interdisciplinary P-20 partnerships increase college going among Chicano/Latino youth,the authors highlight evidence from the Educational Partnership Center (EPC), University of California, Santa Cruz, a P-20 partnership building academic achievement and college and career pathways.Three elements advance EPC effectiveness: collaborative governance structures sustaining shared vision, mission, and goals; innovating with data-driven decision making; and complementary theories aligning goals from childhood through college to careers. Three studies, guided by these theories, illuminate such effectiveness.
Laying the Groundwork: The Constant Gardening of Community—University— School Partnerships for Postsecondary Access and Success
Authors: Collins Donald Earl , Weinbaum Alexandra T. , Ramón Gilberto , Vaughan Debra
Published: October 2009

Collaborative efforts between school districts and higher education institutions to address access, retention, and achievement issues for underrepresented students have grown in recent years.Yet many of these university or school district—led efforts possess limited understanding of the community context for systemic change, and engage community stakeholders in limited ways.This article illuminates a national initiative’s efforts to develop local partnerships led by community organizations to influence systemic change in K-12 and higher education institutions around postsecondary access and success.
Discipline and Dragon Kill Points in the Online Power Game
Authors: Silverman Mark , Simon Bart
Published: October 2009

This article discusses the origins and development of the player-innovated dragon kill point (DKP) system as an example for thinking about Foucauldian conceptions of disciplinary power and the production of gamer subjectivity in the contexts of massively multiplayer online game (MMOG) power gaming. The argument considers the generalized hyperrationalism of DKP-based gaming as both an ideal digital form of panoptic control as well as a kind of ironic form of play with the limits of the possibility of control within digital culture.
Injuries: An Underrecognized Lifestyle Problem
Authors: Sleet David A. , Ballesteros Michael F. , Baldwin Grant T.
Published: October 2009

This article introduces the field of injury prevention and control and its relationship to lifestyle medicine. A review of injury epidemiology, definitions, intervention approaches, and the importance of injury as a public health problem are discussed. Injuries are a large, predictable, and preventable national and international problem affecting individuals, families, and communities. Behavioral, environmental, and technological solutions are necessary to reduce or eliminate injuries. Reductions in injuries and their costs to patients and their families are possible but will need support, collaboration, and partnering from policy makers, clinicians, and health care practitioners. Lifestyle medicine and primary care family practitioners are important allies in encouraging lifestyle choices that reduce injuries and in advocating for medical and public health policies related to injury prevention. Injuries should be added to the broad range of conditions resulting from lifestyle choices, and primary caregivers and other gatekeepers in health care can help reduce injuries from all causes.
Older Adult Fall Prevention: Perceptions, Beliefs, and Behaviors
Authors: Stevens Judy A. , Noonan Rita K. , Rubenstein Laurence Z.
Published: October 2009

Falls in adults aged 65 years and older are an important health issue associated with excess mortality, functional limitations, loss of independence, and reduced quality of life. Physicians can reduce the likelihood of falls in their older patients by incorporating prevention strategies into their clinical practice. Research has identified effective interventions, notably clinical assessment and risk factor reduction and exercise programs with balance training, that require older adults to adopt new behaviors. However, some older adults believe falls are an inevitable consequence of aging, while others do not see themselves as personally vulnerable. Factors that facilitate adopting fall interventions include social support, low-intensity exercise, and the perception that the programs are relevant. Barriers include fatalism, denial of risk, poor self-efficacy, and no previous history of exercise. To encourage their patients’ participation, physicians need to present fall interventions as lifestyle enhancing and as a way to remain independent. Messages should focus on positive health and social benefits such as improving balance and maintaining independence, rather than emphasizing negative information about falls and fall injuries. Along with the support of family and friends, a personal invitation from a health care provider will encourage older adults to take part in fall prevention programs.
Opioid Drug Overdoses: A Prescription for Harm and Potential for Prevention
Authors: Dasgupta Nabarun , Sanford Catherine , Albert Susan , Wells Brason Fred
Published: October 2009

This article reviews the burden of accidental poisonings from opioid overdoses in the United States, describes several current federal- and state-level prevention strategies, and illustrates several approaches taken to prevent deaths from opioid overdoses and reduce emergency department visits for chronic pain. One approach, Project Lazarus in North Carolina, is a community-based, secondary prevention program that trains medical care providers to coprescribe naloxone with opioids and provide education to patients who are at risk of opioid overdoses and to their families and peers.
Child Injury: The Role of Supervision in Prevention
Authors: Morrongiello Barbara A. , Schell Stacey L.
Published: October 2009

As the leading cause of death and major contributor to hospitalization for children, unintentional injury is a significant health problem in the United States. How supervision influences children’s risk of injury has been of interest for some time, and much progress has been made recently to address definitional and measurement issues pertaining to supervision. Increasing evidence supports the notion of a general relationship between increased supervision and decreased injury risk, but also reveals that child behavioral attributes and environmental characteristics can interact with level of supervision to affect injury risk, making it challenging to develop guidelines regarding what constitutes “adequate” supervision. Further research is needed to explore if and how children’s risk of injury varies with different supervisors (eg, mothers vs fathers vs older siblings) and how these relations change as a function of children’s developmental level. Recent research has identified messaging approaches that are effective to invoke a commitment to more closely supervising young children at home. Examining how these messages affect actual supervisory practices is an essential next step in this research and can support the development of evidence-based programs to improve supervision and reduce children’s risk of injuries.
Home Injuries: Potential for Prevention
Authors: Mack Karin A. , DeSafey Liller Karen
Published: October 2009

There are approximately 18 000 injury-related deaths at home each year. Some of the leading causes of home injury deaths are falls, fire/ burns, poisonings, choking/suffocations, and drownings. Many more home injuries are treated at emergency departments, in doctors’ offices, or with self-care at home. Children and older adults are especially at risk for home injuries, and environmental factors can contribute to population disparities in home injuries. The causes and circumstances of home injuries are complex and multifaceted. This article provides an overview of the epidemiology and burden of home injuries and reviews the evidence for prevention by life stage. Reducing the risk of injuries at home is challenging, but fortunately there many ways that practitioners can help promote safer behaviors and help change home environments for patients and their families.
Interpreting evidence from structural equation modeling in nursing practice
Authors: Newman Kathy , Vance David , Moneyham Linda
Published: October 2009

Structural equation modeling is a statistical technique that allows researchers to examine multiple hypotheses while simultaneously controlling for error. It can consist of a variety of observed and latent independent, mediator, and dependent variables. Owing to it being confirmatory in nature, this statistical approach can be used quite readily to test theoretical models. Likewise, it provides overall fit indices that determine whether the model tested actually fits the observed data. This article provides nurses with the basics on structural equation modeling so they can assimilate evidence from studies that use this statistical tool and be able to incorporate such findings into practice.
Urokinase-type plasminogen activator increases hepatocyte growth factor activity required for skeletal muscle regeneration
Authors: Sisson Thomas H. , Nguyen Mai-Huong , Yu Bi , Novak Margaret L. , Simon Richard H. , Koh Timothy J.
Published: October 2009

The plasminogen system plays a crucial role in the repair of a variety of tissues, including skeletal muscle. We hypothesized that urokinase-type plasminogen activator (uPA) promotes muscle regeneration by activating hepatocyte growth factor (HGF), which, in turn, stimulates proliferation of myoblasts required for regeneration. In our studies, levels of active HGF and phosphorylation of the HGF receptor c-met were increased after muscle injury in wild-type mice. Compared with wild-type animals, mice deficient in uPA (uPA−/−) had markedly reduced HGF levels and c-met activation after muscle damage. This reduced HGF activity in uPA−/− animals was associated with decreased cell proliferation, myoblast accumulation, and new muscle fiber formation. On the other hand, HGF activity was enhanced at early time points in PAI-1−/− mice compared with wild-type mice and the PAI-1−/− animals exhibited accelerated muscle fiber regeneration. Furthermore, administration of exogenous uPA rescued HGF levels and muscle regeneration in uPA−/− mice, and an HGF-blocking antibody reduced HGF activity and muscle regeneration in wild-type mice. We also found that uPA promotes myoblast proliferation in vitro through its proteolytic activity, and this process was inhibited by an HGF-blocking antibody. Together, our findings demonstrate that uPA promotes muscle regeneration through HGF activation and subsequent myoblast proliferation.
Orchestration of macrophage polarization
Authors: Mantovani Alberto , Locati Massimo
Published: October 2009

In this issue of Blood, Ishii and colleagues shed new, fresh light on molecular mechanisms underlying one form of macrophage activation.
Stem cell mimicry: key to transformation?
Authors: Carlotti Emanuela , Gribben John G.
Published: October 2009

In this issue of Blood, Gentles and colleagues used a computational model to investigate FL and transformed DLBCL, and identified the acquisition of an ESC-like signature as a key feature of transformation.1
PathBinder – text empirics and automatic extraction of biomolecular interactions
Authors: Zhang Lifeng , Berleant Daniel , Ding Jing , Cao Tuan , Syrkin Wurtele Eve
Published: October 2009

Motivation

The increasingly large amount of free, online biological text makes automatic interaction extraction correspondingly attractive. Machine learning is one strategy that works by uncovering and using useful properties that are implicit in the text. However these properties are usually not reported in the literature explicitly. By investigating specific properties of biological text passages in this paper, we aim to facilitate an alternative strategy, the use of text empirics, to support mining of biomedical texts for biomolecular interactions. We report on our application of this approach, and also report some empirical findings about an important class of passages. These may be useful to others who may also wish to use the empirical properties we describe.

Results

We manually analyzed syntactic and semantic properties of sentences likely to describe interactions between biomolecules. The resulting empirical data were used to design an algorithm for the PathBinder system to extract biomolecular interactions from texts. PathBinder searches PubMed for sentences describing interactions between two given biomolecules. PathBinder then uses probabilistic methods to combine evidence from multiple relevant sentences in PubMed to assess the relative likelihood of interaction between two arbitrary biomolecules. A biomolecular interaction network was constructed based on those likelihoods.

Conclusion

The text empirics approach used here supports computationally friendly, performance competitive, automatic extraction of biomolecular interactions from texts.

Availability

http://www.metnetdb.org/pathbinder.
HPD: an online integrated human pathway database enabling systems biology studies
Authors: Chowbina Sudhir R , Wu Xiaogang , Zhang Fan , Li Peter M , Pandey Ragini , Kasamsetty Harini N , Chen Jake Y
Published: October 2009

Background

Pathway-oriented experimental and computational studies have led to a significant accumulation of biological knowledge concerning three major types of biological pathway events: molecular signaling events, gene regulation events, and metabolic reaction events. A pathway consists of a series of molecular pathway events that link molecular entities such as proteins, genes, and metabolites. There are approximately 300 biological pathway resources as of April 2009 according to the Pathguide database; however, these pathway databases generally have poor coverage or poor quality, and are difficult to integrate, due to syntactic-level and semantic-level data incompatibilities.

Results

We developed the Human Pathway Database (HPD) by integrating heterogeneous human pathway data that are either curated at the NCI Pathway Interaction Database (PID), Reactome, BioCarta, KEGG or indexed from the Protein Lounge Web sites. Integration of pathway data at syntactic, semantic, and schematic levels was based on a unified pathway data model and data warehousing-based integration techniques. HPD provides a comprehensive online view that connects human proteins, genes, RNA transcripts, enzymes, signaling events, metabolic reaction events, and gene regulatory events. At the time of this writing HPD includes 999 human pathways and more than 59,341 human molecular entities. The HPD software provides both a user-friendly Web interface for online use and a robust relational database backend for advanced pathway querying. This pathway tool enables users to 1) search for human pathways from different resources by simply entering genes/proteins involved in pathways or words appearing in pathway names, 2) analyze pathway-protein association, 3) study pathway-pathway similarity, and 4) build integrated pathway networks. We demonstrated the usage and characteristics of the new HPD through three breast cancer case studies.

Conclusion

HPD http://bio.informatics.iupui.edu/HPD is a new resource for searching, managing, and studying human biological pathways. Users of HPD can search against large collections of human biological pathways, compare related pathways and their molecular entity compositions, and build high-quality, expanded-scope disease pathway models. The current HPD software can help users address a wide range of pathway-related questions in human disease biology studies.
Homology-based annotation of non-coding RNAs in the genomes of Schistosoma mansoni and Schistosoma japonicum
Authors: Copeland Claudia S , Marz Manja , Rose Dominic , Hertel Jana , Brindley Paul J , Santana Clara Bermudez , Kehr Stephanie , Attolini Camille Stephan-Otto , Stadler Peter F
Published: October 2009

Background

Schistosomes are trematode parasites of the phylum Platyhelminthes. They are considered the most important of the human helminth parasites in terms of morbidity and mortality. Draft genome sequences are now available forSchistosoma mansoniandSchistosoma japonicum. Non-coding RNA (ncRNA) plays a crucial role in gene expression regulation, cellular function and defense, homeostasis, and pathogenesis. The genome-wide annotation of ncRNAs is a non-trivial task unless well-annotated genomes of closely related species are already available.

Results

A homology search for structured ncRNA in the genome ofS. mansoniresulted in 23 types of ncRNAs with conserved primary and secondary structure. Among these, we identified rRNA, snRNA, SL RNA, SRP, tRNAs and RNase P, and also possibly MRP and 7SK RNAs. In addition, we confirmed five miRNAs that have recently been reported inS. japonicumand found two additional homologs of known miRNAs. The tRNA complement ofS. mansoniis comparable to that of the free-living planarianSchmidtea mediterranea, although for some amino acids differences of more than a factor of two are observed: Leu, Ser, and His are overrepresented, while Cys, Meth, and Ile are underrepresented inS. mansoni. On the other hand, the number of tRNAs in the genome ofS. japonicumis reduced by more than a factor of four. Both schistosomes have a complete set of minor spliceosomal snRNAs. Several ncRNAs that are expected to exist in theS. mansonigenome were not found, among them the telomerase RNA, vault RNAs, and Y RNAs.

Conclusion

The ncRNA sequences and structures presented here represent the most complete dataset of ncRNA from any lophotrochozoan reported so far. This data set provides an important reference for further analysis of the genomes of schistosomes and indeed eukaryotic genomes at large.
Modulation of pathogen-induced CCL20 secretion from HT-29 human intestinal epithelial cells by commensal bacteria
Authors: Sibartie Shomik , O'Hara Ann M , Ryan Jude , Fanning Áine , O'Mahony Jim , O'Neill Shaun , Sheil Barbara , O'Mahony Liam , Shanahan Fergus
Published: October 2009

Background

Human intestinal epithelial cells (IECs) secrete the chemokine CCL20 in response to infection by various enteropathogenic bacteria or exposure to bacterial flagellin. CCL20 recruits immature dendritic cells and lymphocytes to target sites. Here we investigated IEC responses to various pathogenic and commensal bacteria as well as the modulatory effects of commensal bacteria on pathogen-induced CCL20 secretion. HT-29 human IECs were incubated with commensal bacteria (Bifidobacterium infantis or Lactobacillus salivarius), or with Salmonella typhimurium, its flagellin, Clostridium difficile, Mycobacterium paratuberculosis, or Mycobacterium smegmatis for varying times. In some studies, HT-29 cells were pre-treated with a commensal strain for 2 hr prior to infection or flagellin stimulation. CCL20 and interleukin (IL)-8 secretion and nuclear factor (NF)-κB activation were measured using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays.

Results

Compared to untreated cells, S. typhimurium, C. difficile, M. paratuberculosis, and flagellin activated NF-κB and stimulated significant secretion of CCL20 and IL-8 by HT-29 cells. Conversely, B. infantis, L. salivarius or M. smegmatis did not activate NF-κB or augment CCL20 or IL-8 production. Treatment with B. infantis, but not L. salivarius, dose-dependently inhibited the baseline secretion of CCL20. In cells pre-treated with B. infantis, C. difficile-, S. typhimurium-, and flagellin-induced CCL20 were significantly attenuated. B. infantis did not limit M. Paratuberculosis- induced CCL20 secretion.

Conclusion

This study is the first to demonstrate that a commensal strain can attenuate CCL20 secretion in HT-29 IECs. Collectively, the data indicate that M. paratuberculosis may mediate mucosal damage and that B. infantis can exert immunomodulatory effects on IECs that mediate host responses to flagellin and flagellated enteric pathogens.
Relevance of MRI in prediction of malignancy of musculoskeletal system-A prospective evaluation
Authors: Daniel Alex , Ullah Ekram , Wahab Shagufta , Kumar Vasantha
Published: October 2009

Background

The purpose of this study is to evaluate the role of MRI in musculoskeletal tumours, especially, in prediction of malignancy & to compare whether the diagnosis made on MRI correlates with the cytological/histopathological diagnosis.

Methods

50 consecutive patients presenting in the Outpatient and Inpatient department of the Department of Orthopaedics or Casualty of Jawaharlal Nehru Medical College and Hospital, AMU, Aligarh, India were included in this study. They were subjected to MR examination on 1.5 Tesla superconducting system (MAGNETOM Avanto, Siemens). After localizer sequences, T1W and STIR images were obtained in longitudinal planes followed by T2W and post contrast T1W images in axial planes. Additional sequences were taken when required. Various imaging characteristics of tumours were evaluated statistically and their respective sensitivity and specificity in prediction of malignancy were obtained.

Results

Features associated with benign diagnosis in a large percentage of cases, are size less than 8 cm, sharp margination, homogeneous T2 signal, absence of oedema, necrosis, calcification and fluid-fluid levels. Similarly, malignant tumours are commonly associated with presence of irregular margins, inhomogeneous signal intensity, oedema, necrosis, haemorrhage, fascial penetration, bone changes and neurovascular involvement. A correct histological diagnosis is reached on the basis of imaging studies alone in 65% to 75% of cases. The sensitivity for a MRI diagnosis of malignant tumour was 95% and specificity was 84%.

Conclusion

Differentiation of malignant from benign lesions of musculoskeletal system is best made by a combination of clinical and imaging parameters rather than by any single MR characteristic. When a lesion has a non-specific MR imaging appearance, it is useful to formulate a suitably ordered differential diagnosis based on tumour prevalence, patient age, and anatomic location. A systematic approach markedly improves diagnostic results.
Characterization of unknown genetic modifications using high throughput sequencing and computational subtraction
Authors: Tengs Torstein , Zhang Haibo , Holst-Jensen Arne , Bohlin Jon , Butenko Melinka A , Kristoffersen Anja Bråthen , Sorteberg Hilde-Gunn Opsahl , Berdal Knut G
Published: October 2009

Background

When generating a genetically modified organism (GMO), the primary goal is to give a target organism one or several novel traits by using biotechnology techniques. A GMO will differ from its parental strain in that its pool of transcripts will be altered. Currently, there are no methods that are reliably able to determine if an organism has been genetically altered if the nature of the modification is unknown.

Results

We show that the concept of computational subtraction can be used to identify transgenic cDNA sequences from genetically modified plants. Our datasets include 454-type sequences from a transgenic line of Arabidopsis thaliana and published EST datasets from commercially relevant species (rice and papaya).

Conclusion

We believe that computational subtraction represents a powerful new strategy for determining if an organism has been genetically modified as well as to define the nature of the modification. Fewer assumptions have to be made compared to methods currently in use and this is an advantage particularly when working with unknown GMOs.