bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Systematic Review of the Efficacy of Herbal Galactogogues
Authors: Mortel Mylove , Mehta Supriya D.
Published: March 2013

Exclusive breastfeeding has been linked to many positive health outcomes, yet its widespread adoption as the primary mode of providing nutrition to infants remains challenging. The most common reported reason for early breastfeeding cessation is perception of inadequate milk production. To augment breast milk production, a substantial number of women turn to herbal galactogogues despite the limited scientific evidence of their efficacy and safety. We conducted a systematic review of published literature to evaluate the efficacy of herbal galactogogues. PubMed was searched from inception to October 2012 using an iterative search process that proceeded from broad categories to specific herbs. Manuscript references were also reviewed. Only experimental studies with objective outcome measures were included. Six trials met our search criteria. Using an adapted version of the CONSORT checklist, each trial was evaluated for potential sources of bias in design and reporting. Shatavari, torbangun, fenugreek, milk thistle, and a Japanese herbal medication were the 5 herbal preparations studied. Five trials found an increase in breast milk production. Several limitations exist that affect the validity of the trial results, including small sample size, insufficient randomization methods, poorly defined eligibility criteria, use of poly-herbal interventions, and variable breastfeeding practices among enrolled subjects. Given the insufficiency of evidence from these trials, no recommendation is made for the use of herbs as galactogogues. Well-designed and well-conducted clinical trials that address the above limitations are necessary to generate a body of evidence as a basis for recommendations regarding herbal galactogogues.
Preparation and properties of novel ultraviolet-cured waterborne polyurethanes
Authors: Fang Zhou , Zhou Meng , Zhong Jianfeng , Qi Yuanchun , Li Lingling , Dong Qingzhi
Published: March 2013

A new ultraviolet (UV)-cured waterborne polyurethane (WPU) mainly composed of ionic soft segments, imide groups, and a new water-soluble UV-cured cross-linking agent containing both C=C bond and carboxy group was prepared. The ionic soft segments were prepared by 1,6-hexamethylene diisocyanate , poly(propylene glycol)-600, and dimethylol butanoic acid. The imide groups were introduced into polyurethane by extending them with pyromellitic dianhydride (PMDA). The new water-soluble UV-cured cross-linking agent (MLGLY) was synthesized by hydrophilic maleic anhydride and glycerol oligomer. The particle size and the viscosity of the new anionic WPU as well as the water swelling, gel content, mechanical properties, and thermal stability of the UV-cured WPU cast films were investigated. The results showed that the best performance of WPU was obtained with 0.024 mol of PMDA and 5 wt% of MLGLY.
A novel distributed model of the heart under normal and congestive heart failure conditions
Authors: Ravanshadi Samin , Jahed Mehran
Published: March 2013

Conventional models of cardiovascular system frequently lack required detail and focus primarily on the overall relationship between pressure, flow and volume. This study proposes a localized and regional model of the cardiovascular system. It utilizes noninvasive blood flow and pressure seed data and temporal cardiac muscle regional activity to predict the operation of the heart under normal and congestive heart failure conditions. The analysis considers specific regions of the heart, namely, base, mid and apex of left ventricle. The proposed method of parameter estimation for hydraulic electric analogy model is recursive least squares algorithm. Based on simulation results and comparison to clinical data, effect of congestive heart failure in the heart is quantified. Accumulated results for simulated ejection fraction percentage of the apex, mid and base regions of the left ventricle in congestive heart failure condition were 39 ± 6, 36 ± 9 and 38 ± 8, respectively. These results are shown to satisfactorily match those found through clinical measurements. The proposed analytical method can in effect be utilized as a preclinical and predictive tool for high-risk heart patients and candidates for heart transplant, assistive device and total artificial heart.
An integrated approach towards future ballistic neck protection materials selection
Authors: Breeze John , Helliker Mark , Carr Debra J
Published: March 2013

Ballistic protection for the neck has historically taken the form of collars attached to the ballistic vest (removable or fixed), but other approaches, including the development of prototypes incorporating ballistic material into the collar of an under body armour shirt, are now being investigated. Current neck collars incorporate the same ballistic protective fabrics as the soft armour of the remaining vest, reflecting how ballistic protective performance alone has historically been perceived as the most important property for neck protection. However, the neck has fundamental differences from the thorax in terms of anatomical vulnerability, flexibility and equipment integration, necessitating a separate solution from the thorax in terms of optimal materials selection. An integrated approach towards the selection of the most appropriate combination of materials to be used for each of the two potential designs of future neck protection has been developed. This approach requires evaluation of the properties of each potential material in addition to ballistic performance alone, including flexibility, mass, wear resistance and thermal burden. The aim of this article is to provide readers with an overview of this integrated approach towards ballistic materials selection and an update of its current progress in the development of future ballistic neck protection.
A comparison of estimation methods for computational fluid dynamics outflow boundary conditions using patient-specific carotid artery
Authors: Lee Chang-Joon , Uemiya Nahoko , Ishihara Shoichiro , Zhang Yu , Qian Yi
Published: March 2013

Computational fluid dynamics simulations can provide important hemodynamic insights for investigating the effectiveness of carotid artery stenting, but its accuracy is dependent on the boundary conditions such as the outflow pressure, which is difficult to obtain by measurements. Many computational fluid dynamics simulations assume that the outflow pressure is constant ( P = 0), but this method is likely to produce different results compared to clinical measurements. We have developed an alternative estimation method called the minimum energy loss method based on the concept of energy loss minimization at flow bifurcation. This new method has been tested on computational fluid dynamics simulation of two patients treated with carotid artery stenting, and its flow ratio at internal carotid artery and wall shear stress distribution was compared with the constant zero outlet pressure method. Three different procedure stages (prestent, poststent, and follow-up) were analyzed. The internal carotid artery flow ratio using the minimum energy loss method generally matched well with ultrasound measurements, but the internal carotid artery flow ratio based on zero outlet pressure method showed a large difference. Wall shear stress distributions varied between methods in response to the change in internal carotid artery flow rate. This study demonstrates the importance of accurate outlet boundary condition for assessing the long-term efficacy of carotid artery stenting and the risk of restenosis in treated patients.
Gender identity in urban poor mobilizations: evidence from Bengaluru
Authors: Haritas Kaveri
Published: March 2013

This paper draws on field research conducted among a group of resettled slum(1) dwellers in the west of Bengaluru, and analyzes women’s collective engagement to improve the provision of urban services in low-income neighbourhoods. The paper argues the need to deepen the focus on urban poor mobilizations below the level of the urban poor as a group – to look at the various groups, and the differences, divergences and contradictions within. Using gender as a differential, the paper focuses on women who dominate local neighbourhood level initiatives within low-income settlements, and analyzes their specific opportunities and constraints as actors within the larger domain of urban poor mobilizations. It proposes that these seemingly insignificant day-to-day negotiations diverge from more individual forms of “leadership”, creating a political space at the lowest level of the neighbourhood where the projects of material improvement and emancipation take place simultaneously.
A 7000-year sea-surface temperature record from CA-SRI-147, Santa Rosa Island, California, USA
Authors: Robbins John A , Ferguson Kurt M , Gregory Robert T
Published: March 2013

California mussels ( Mytilus californianus) excavated from archaeological site CA-SRI-147 on the southern side of Santa Rosa Island, California, provided a discontinuous environmental record spanning about 7000 years. An earlier report of the midden remains at this site found a weak inverse correlation between changes in mussel shell length and sea surface temperature (SST), but not productivity, and a decline in mussel size from ~5800 to 5100 calendar years before present during a period of low productivity and increasing SST. This study uses oxygen isotopes from the site to directly compare environmental change to shifts in faunal assemblage. Four intervals of low temperatures are revealed in the nearshore environmental data, each corresponding to a significant change in faunal assemblage at the site. The first occurs c. 6600 calendar years before present (cal. BP) and coincides with the greatest amount of mussel shell mass and size in the site. The second (c. 5500 cal. BP) occurs during an interval of variable mussel contribution and increasing red abalone ( Haliotis rufescens) contribution. The third (c. 4800 cal. BP) occurs during a time when platform mussels ( Septifer bifurcatus) exceed California mussels in meat weight, while the final interval (c. 3700 cal. BP) occurs prior to a period of probable site hiatus. The overall pattern of decreasing shell contribution and size at the site is not found in the mollusk isotope data, suggesting that environmental change had a profound impact on short-term variability, while human predation of key resources provided the long-term primary stress on nearshore biota.
Attitudes of Counselors Regarding Ethical Situations Encountered by In-Home Counselors
Authors: Lauka Justin D. , Remley Theodore P. , Ward Christine
Published: March 2013

In recent decades, in-home counseling has gained popularity as a cost-effective method of treating individuals and families who would otherwise not have access to counseling services. Unfortunately, this treatment modality has not yet been widely researched, and educational and professional requirements for practitioners are ill defined. The unique situation of in-home counseling increases the potential for ethical challenges to arise. This survey study explored attitudes of in-home and outpatient counselors in Virginia regarding ethical situations encountered by in-home counselors. Differences between in-home and outpatient beliefs were examined. Although no significant differences were found between the two, an interesting pattern emerged regarding the ethical rating of situations related to the situation’s potential to harm the client. Findings from the study, including rankings of items are presented. Implications for the training and practice of in-home counselors are discussed.
Raising Black Males From a Black Father’s Perspective
Authors: Gordon Teandra V. , Nichter Mary , Henriksen Richard C.
Published: March 2013

The role of Black fathers and the lessons they teach their sons have received little attention. The purpose of this phenomenological study was to describe the perceptions of what current Black fathers learned from their parents, family, and society about education, male roles, and success. Seven Black fathers provided their perceptions of what they learned growing up that they share with their sons. Six themes emerged from the seven interviews: (a) fathers are role models, (b) it takes a village, (c) critical juncture, (d) exposure, (e) education was mandatory, and (f) essential ingredients. The discussion focuses on the impact Black fathers have on the development of their sons. Implications for counseling and future research are also presented.
Reflections From Behind the Screen
Authors: Parker Nicola , O’Reilly Michelle
Published: March 2013

Since Tom Andersen developed the use of reflecting teams to facilitate the progress and process of family therapy, little empirical evidence has emerged regarding their effectiveness or use in therapeutic practice. Reflecting teams are typically embraced by family therapists as a positive mechanism for enhancing practice and thus it is important that research explores how they are utilized. In this article, we draw upon videotaped data of naturally occurring family therapy from the United Kingdom. Using conversation analysis, we identified three performative actions related to interrupting the therapeutic conversation to consult with a reflecting team. We found that therapists had difficulty exiting therapy, that on some occasions exit was hindered, and that there were disturbances in feeding back the reflections of the team. By examining the use of teams in real practice, we were able to make a number of recommendations for practicing family therapists to facilitate the use of this valuable resource.
Gender, Race, Adult Attachment, and Marital Satisfaction Among Malaysians
Authors: Ng Kok-Mun , Loy Johnben Teik-Cheok , MohdZain Zaidy , Cheong Winnee
Published: March 2013

This study investigated the gender and race differences on attachment-related avoidance, attachment-related anxiety, and marital satisfaction in the three major Malaysian ethnic groups (i.e., Malays, Chinese, and Indians). Results showed the females reported higher levels of anxiety and lower levels of marital satisfaction than did the males. The Malays were found to report higher levels of anxiety than both the Chinese and Indians. Further regression analyses revealed that anxiety and avoidance were significant predictors of marital satisfaction in the Chinese females, Indian males and females, and Malay males and females while avoidance was the only significant predictor in the Chinese males. Gender and race differences were also observed in the association between attachment and marital satisfaction.
Perceived Impact of a Documentary Film
Authors: Lin Sue-Jen
Published: March 2013

This study explores the factors that moderate first-person perception of socially desirable messages and the behavioral consequences of the perceived self-other perceptual disparity. A total of 255 participants watched An Inconvenient Truth and completed a survey thereafter. The participants acknowledged themselves to be more receptive to the film than others and acted on this perceived difference by supporting the distribution of the film. The message desirability, perceived message quality and sensation value, sensation-seeking tendency, and issue knowledge not only affected assessments of the perceived effect on the self and others differently but also increased the willingness to take action and stop global warming.
Implementation of a multigrid solver on a GPU for Stokes equations with strongly variable viscosity based on Matlab and CUDA
Authors: Zheng Liang , Zhang Huai , Gerya Taras , Knepley Matthew , Yuen David A , Shi Yaolin
Published: March 2013

The Stokes equations are frequently used to simulate geodynamic processes, including mantle convection, lithospheric dynamics, lava flow, and among others. In this study, the multigrid (MG) method is adopted to solve Stokes and continuity equations with strongly temperature-dependent viscosity. By taking advantage of the enhanced computing power of graphics processing units (GPUs) and the new version of Matlab 2010b, MG codes are optimized through Compute Unified Device Architecture (CUDA). Herein, we illustrate the approach that implements a GPU-based MG solver with Red–Black Gauss–Seidel (RBGS) smoother for the three-dimensional Stokes and continuity equations, in a hope that it helps solve the synthetic incompressible sinking problem in a cubic domain with strongly variable viscosity, and finally analyze our solver’s efficiency on a GPU.
Cesarean section and offspring’s risk of multiple sclerosis: a Danish nationwide cohort study
Authors: Nielsen Nete M , Bager Peter , Stenager Egon , Pedersen Bo V , Koch-Henriksen Nils , Hjalgrim Henrik , Frisch Morten
Published: March 2013

Background:

Apart from a recent study reporting a 2- to 3-fold increased risk of multiple sclerosis (MS) among women and men who were delivered by Cesarean section (C-section), little attention has been given to the possible association between mode of delivery and the risk of MS.

Objectives:

We studied the association between C-section and risk of MS, in a cohort of 1.7 million Danes born from 1973 to 2005.

Methods:

Information on C-section and MS was obtained from the Danish Medical Birth Register and the Danish MS Register, respectively. The association between C-section and MS was evaluated by means of MS incidence rate ratios (RR) with 95% confidence intervals (CI) obtained in log-linear Poisson regression analyses.

Results:

There were 930 cases of MS in the study cohort, of whom 80 (9%) were delivered by C-section. Overall, we found there was no significant association between C-section and risk of MS (RR = 1.17; 0.92–1.46). Analyses stratified by sex revealed no unusual risk of MS for women (RR = 1.08: 0.80–1.42) nor men (RR = 1.37: 0.91–1.98). A supplementary sibling-matched Cox regression analysis likewise suggested there was no excess risk of MS in persons delivered by C-section (HR = 1.03; 0.63–1.69).

Conclusions:

Mode of delivery appears to be unimportant in relation to MS development in the offspring.
Talking about sex in the Gender Identity Clinic: Implications for training and practice
Authors: Speer Susan A
Published: March 2013

This article provides the first systematic examination of the ways ‘talk about sex’ is occasioned and managed by doctors and patients in real-life interactions in a National Health Service Gender Identity Clinic. Drawing on a corpus of 194 recordings of psychiatric assessment sessions, the article examines how parties initiate and develop talk about sex, and which strategies appear to work best for doctor–patient alignment. The analyses revealed that the most aligning methods were for clinicians to make transitions from asking questions about relationships in general to talk about sex, or to build opportunistically on patients’ relationship talk. However, talk about sex that lacked specificity or which made inaccurate presumptions about patients’ sex lives, generated misalignment between clinician and patient. I suggest that such misalignment is not intrinsically bad. Rather, it provides evidence for the virtues of a more nuanced understanding of patient-centred communication. The article concludes with a discussion of the importance of grounding communication skills training and clinical practice in recordings of actual consultations.
Forms of brutality
Authors: Malešević Siniša
Published: March 2013

Most analyses of violence in the different historical periods tend to view the modern era as significantly less violent than all of its historical predecessors. By focusing on such apparently reliable indicators as the decrease in homicide rates, the disappearance of public torture or growing civility in inter-personal relationships, many authors contend that our ancestors inhabited a substantially more violent world. In this article, I argue that since such blanket evaluations do not clearly distinguish between different levels of violence analysis, they are unable to provide an accurate picture of historical reality. To properly understand violence, it is necessary to compare and contrast its historical transformation at the interpersonal and intra-group (micro), the inter-group and intra-polity (mezzo), and inter-polity (macro) levels. When violence is comparatively analysed on these three interrelated levels, it becomes clear that the scale of collective brutality gradually and dramatically increases with the rise of modern social organizations and ideologies while the character of inter-personal and intra-group violence remains essentially constant.
The paradox of political violence
Authors: Ayyash Mark Muhannad
Published: March 2013

This article explores the paradoxical relationship between politics and violence in the concept of political violence. By examining the works of prominent theorists, such as Hannah Arendt and Frantz Fanon, the article highlights both the difficulty of separating politics and violence, and the improbability of formulating a harmonious relationship between them. Engaging with some of Michel Foucault’s work on power and violence, the article begins to formulate a theoretical approach that conceptualizes political violence in its inherently paradoxical condition.
Identifying plastic properties of friction stir-welded material by small punch beam test
Authors: Zhou Xingguo , Pan Wenke , MacKenzie Donald , Fu Ruidong
Published: March 2013

Average plastic properties of friction stir-welded AA2024-T3 are obtained by coupling novel small punch beam testing with a neural network algorithm. The small punch beam test utilizes a cylindrical punch head and miniature rectangular beam specimens. The specimens may be manufactured by material removed from in-service components with minimal effect on mechanical performances. Specimen preparation, material model, and identifying procedure are systematically presented. Predicted load–displacement results agree well with the experimental results and the identified strain–stress relationship demonstrates useful agreement with tensile test. Since the load–displacement curve is insensitive to base material properties, knowledge of these properties is not required in the proposed method.
Muslimah Media Watch: Media activism and Muslim choreographies of social change
Authors: Echchaibi Nabil
Published: March 2013

This article explores media activism in the Muslim context by focusing on the blog, Muslimah Media Watch. It analyzes the significance of blogging as an activist tool used by a group of Muslim women to influence an ongoing and contested process of social change in Islam. Through interviews with the founder and bloggers of the site and a textual analysis of the blog posts, the author focuses on the aesthetic forms and discursive practices of digital Muslim activism and argues that projects such as Muslimah Media Watch should be evaluated not in terms of a revolutionary subversion of hegemonic discourse on gender in Islam, but rather as part of small but consistent disruptive flows of dissent which are significant precisely because of the nature of their intervention and the tactics of their resistance. The blog has also become a prime discursive and performative space where young Muslims debate and contest what it means to be modern in transnational settings.
Interactive ambient visualizations for soft advice
Authors: Murphy-Hill Emerson , Barik Titus , Black Andrew P.
Published: March 2013

Some software packages offer the user soft advice: recommendations that are intended to help the user create high-quality artifacts but which may turn out to be bad advice. It is left to the user to determine whether the soft advice really will improve quality and to decide whether to adopt it. Visualizations can help the user in making this decision, but we believe that conventional visualizations are less than ideal. In this article, we describe an interactive ambient visualization to help users identify, understand, and interpret soft advice. Our visualization was developed to help programmers interpret code smells, which are indications that a software project may be suffering from design problems. We describe a laboratory experiment with 12 programmers that tests several hypotheses about our visualization. The findings suggest that our tool helps programmers to identify smells more effectively and to make more informed judgments about the design of the program under development. We then describe an application of our visualization technique in another domain: an English style and grammar advisor. This second application suggests that our technique can be applied to several domains and also suggests how the technique must be varied to make it domain specific.
Are we what we do? Exploring group behaviour through user-defined event-sequence similarity
Authors: Vrotsou Katerina , Ynnerman Anders , Cooper Matthew
Published: March 2013

The study of human activity in space and time is an inherent part of human geography. In order to perform such studies, data on the time use of individuals, in terms of sequence and timing of performed activities, are collected and analysed. A common assumption when analysing individuals’ time use is that groups that exhibit similar background and demographic characteristics also display similarities in how they use their time to structure their daily lives. In this article, we set out to investigate the correctness of such assumptions. We propose a visual analytics process based on sequence similarity measures tailored to event-based data such as performed activity sequences. The process allows an analyst to retrieve similarly behaving records according to user-selected similarity preferences and interactively explore aspects of this similarity in a multiple linked-view environment.
Does Theory Travel?
Authors: Dirani Khalil M.
Published: March 2013

The Problem

The dimensions of the learning organization (LO) culture have been accorded attention and have been assessed quantitatively in different contexts. Using a measurement instrument focusing on these dimensions is important. But qualitative scrutiny of the LO concept provides human resource practitioners a better understanding of the strengths and weaknesses of particular dimensions relevant in the Lebanese context. This can derive value added insights to the applicability of the LO.

The Solution

This article draws attention to the applicability of the LO concept in an international context. It explores the strengths and weaknesses of using the Dimensions of the Learning Organization Questionnaire (DLOQ) as a LO framework with special focus on particular dimensions most relevant in the Lebanese culture. The article provides suggestions for integrating LO best practices into local organizations, both at the individual and organizational levels.

The Stakeholders

Intended audience for this article includes human resource development (HRD) scholars, practitioners, and scholar-practitioners interested in the concept of the LO and in increasing the levels of learning climates in the workplace as a strategic leverage point within organizations.
Village Improvement and the Development of Small Town America, 1853–1893
Authors: Makker Kirin J.
Published: March 2013

Archival research shows that village improvement was not simply a prequel to City Beautiful, but part of a larger rural reform movement responsible for developing small town American in the late nineteenth century. This article presents a detailed historical account of the Laurel Hill Association in Stockbridge, MA, and an overview of the scope of improvement theory and practice at the national level between 1853 and 1893, the period of village improvement’s greatest impact on the development of small town America. This fuller history of village improvement offers important distinctions and emphases that have been previously neglected or not recognized in planning history literature. Further, in light of recent interest in small town America as a precedent for contemporary urban design, this research offers practitioners greater understanding of this archetype’s planning history.
Doing More With Less
Authors: Marker Kathryn , Mitchall Allison , Lassiter Steve M.
Published: March 2013

Teacher retention is of critical concern in rural and high-poverty districts. This case study describes one school’s challenges following the district’s budget cuts that eliminated funding for schools’ mentor programs. The mentor coordinator at this elementary school faces several dilemmas as she attempts to maintain high-quality support for the beginning teachers. Complicating the school’s efforts are the increasing demands made of the veteran staff as they try to do more with less in several areas.
Interventions at Windy Pines
Authors: Thompson Angela
Published: March 2013

This case was written for educators who are involved in organizational change such as school turnaround, new instructional programs, intervention programs, and implementation of new programs. It explores how a new administrator navigates the implementation of a response to intervention (RTI) pilot program and how instructional leaders create meaning and structure regarding the program. In processing this case study, readers should assume the role of the administrator responsible for implementing the RTI program.
Creating Success for Students With Autism Spectrum Disorders and Their Teachers
Authors: McCollow Meaghan , Davis Carol Ann , Copland Michael
Published: March 2013

This case study is intended for use in an educational leadership class to facilitate conversation on providing effective instructional practices to students on the autism spectrum. In particular, this case study demonstrates how a school district incorporated a research-based model into their system to provide support to teachers of students with autism spectrum disorders. The case provides opportunity to discuss challenges faced by leadership in special education and to analyze the interactions between and within various organizations through various theoretical lenses (i.e., knowledge-based theory, open systems theory).
“No Two Men Were Ever Alike Within”: The Tichborne Trial, The Lord Chief Justice, and The Narration of Identity
Authors: Murphy Sara
Published: March 2013

While not entirely out of the norms of Victorian judicial practice, Lord Chief Justice Cockburn’s summing-up of the evidence in Regina v. Castro, aka Arthur Orton, aka Roger Tichborne was extraordinary for its length and detail, as well as for its narrative and rhetorical force. This article examines Cockburn’s summing-up to the jury, arguing that while it is revealing of nineteenth-century British conceptions of identity, it also uncovers the instability and insufficiency of those conceptions for the juridical determination of identity. Thus the summing-up of evidence, and perhaps the entire Tichborne affair, suggested some of the ways that law, in an age of rapid urbanization and increasing geographical and class mobility, would increasingly require supplementation from extralegal disciplines.
Additional years of Australian Rural Clinical School undergraduate training is associated with rural practice
Authors: Forster Lesley , Assareh Hassan , Watts Lisa D , McLachlan Craig S
Published: March 2013

Background

To understand the influence of the number of years spent at an Australian rural clinical school (RCS) on graduate current, preferred current and intended location for rural workforce practice.

Methods

Retrospective online survey of medical graduates who spent 1–3 years of their undergraduate training in the University of New South Wales (UNSW) Rural Clinical School. Associations with factors (gender, rural versus non-rural entry, conscription versus non-conscript and number of years of RCS attendance) influencing current, preferred current and intended locations were assessed using χ2 test. Factors that were considered significant at P < 0.1 were entered into a logistic regression model for further analysis.

Results

214 graduates responded to the online survey. Graduates with three years of previous RCS training were more likely to indicate rural areas as their preferred current work location, than their colleagues who spent one year at an RCS campus (OR = 3.0, 95% CI = 1.2-7.4, P = 0.015). Also RCS graduates that spent three years at an RCS were more likely to intend to take up rural medical practice after completion of training compared to the graduates with one year of rural placement (OR = 5.1, 95% CI = 1.8-14.2, P = 0.002). Non-rural medicine entry graduates who spent three years at rural campuses were more likely to take up rural practice compared to those who spent just one year at a rural campus (OR = 8.4, 95% CI = 2.1-33.5, P = 0.002).

Conclusions

Increasing the length of time beyond a year at an Australian RCS campus for undergraduate medical students is associated with current work location, preferred current work location and intended work location in a rural area. Spending three years in a RCS significantly increases the likelihood of rural career intentions of non-rural students.
Early cardiac changes in a rat model of prediabetes: brain natriuretic peptide overexpression seems to be the best marker
Authors: Nunes Sara , Soares Edna , Fernandes João , Viana Sofia , Carvalho Eugénia , Pereira Frederico C , Reis Flávio
Published: March 2013

Background

Diabetic cardiomyopathy (DCM) is defined as structural and functional changes in the myocardium due to metabolic and cellular abnormalities induced by diabetes mellitus (DM). The impact of prediabetic conditions on the cardiac tissue remains to be elucidated. The goal of this study was to elucidate whether cardiac dysfunction is already present in a state of prediabetes, in the presence of insulin resistance, and to unravel the underlying mechanisms, in a rat model without obesity and hypertension as confounding factors.

Methods

Two groups of 16-week-old Wistar rats were tested during a 9 week protocol: high sucrose (HSu) diet group (n = 7) – rats receiving 35% of sucrose in drinking water vs the vehicle control group (n = 7). The animal model was characterized in terms of body weight (BW) and the glycemic, insulinemic and lipidic profiles. The following parameters were assessed to evaluate possible early cardiac alterations and underlying mechanisms: blood pressure, heart rate, heart and left ventricle (LV) trophism indexes, as well as the serum and tissue protein and/or the mRNA expression of markers for fibrosis, hypertrophy, proliferation, apoptosis, angiogenesis, endothelial function, inflammation and oxidative stress.

Results

The HSu-treated rats presented normal fasting plasma glucose (FPG) but impaired glucose tolerance (IGT), accompanied by hyperinsulinemia and insulin resistance (P < 0.01), confirming this rat model as prediabetic. Furthermore, although hypertriglyceridemia (P < 0.05) was observed, obesity and hypertension were absent. Regarding the impact of the HSu diet on the cardiac tissue, our results indicated that 9 weeks of treatment might be associated with initial cardiac changes, as suggested by the increased LV weight/BW ratio (P < 0.01) and a remarkable brain natriuretic peptide (BNP) mRNA overexpression (P < 0.01), together with a marked trend for an upregulation of other important mediators of fibrosis, hypertrophy, angiogenesis and endothelial lesions, as well as oxidative stress. The inflammatory and apoptotic markers measured were unchanged.

Conclusions

This animal model of prediabetes/insulin resistance could be an important tool to evaluate the early cardiac impact of dysmetabolism (hyperinsulinemia and impaired glucose tolerance with fasting normoglycemia), without confounding factors such as obesity and hypertension. Left ventricle hypertrophy is already present and brain natriuretic peptide seems to be the best early marker for this condition.
Mast cells and the liver aging process
Authors: Grizzi Fabio , Di Caro Giuseppe , Laghi Luigi , Hermonat Paul , Mazzola Paolo , Nguyen Diane D , Radhi Saba , Figueroa Jose A , Cobos Everardo , Annoni Giorgio , Chiriva-Internati Maurizio
Published: March 2013

It has now ascertained that the clinical manifestations of liver disease in the elderly population reflect both the cumulative effects of longevity on the liver and the generalized senescence of the organism ability to adjust to metabolic, infectious, and immunologic insults. Although liver tests are not significantly affected by age, the presentation of liver diseases such as viral hepatitis may be subtler in the elderly population than that of younger patients.

Human immunosenescence is a situation in which the immune system, particularly T lymphocyte function, deteriorates with age, while innate immunity is negligibly affected and in some cases almost up-regulated.

We here briefly review the relationships between the liver aging process and mast cells, the key effectors in a more complex range of innate immune responses than originally though.
The spatial ecology of free-ranging domestic pigs (Sus scrofa) in western Kenya
Authors: Thomas Lian F , de Glanville William A , Cook Elizabeth A , Fèvre Eric M
Published: March 2013

Background

In many parts of the developing world, pigs are kept under low-input systems where they roam freely to scavenge food. These systems allow poor farmers the opportunity to enter into livestock keeping without large capital investments. This, combined with a growing demand for pork, especially in urban areas, has led to an increase in the number of small-holder farmers keeping free range pigs as a commercial enterprise. Despite the benefits which pig production can bring to a household, keeping pigs under a free range system increases the risk of the pig acquiring diseases, either production-limiting or zoonotic in nature. This study used Global Positioning System (GPS) technology to track free range domestic pigs in rural western Kenya, in order to understand their movement patterns and interactions with elements of the peri-domestic environment.

Results

We found that these pigs travel an average of 4,340 m in a 12 hr period and had a mean home range of 10,343 m2 (range 2,937–32,759 m2) within which the core utilisation distribution was found to be 964 m2 (range 246–3,289 m2) with pigs spending on average 47% of their time outside their homestead of origin.

Conclusion

These are the first data available on the home range of domestic pigs kept under a free range system: the data show that pigs in these systems spend much of their time scavenging outside their homesteads, suggesting that these pigs may be exposed to infectious agents over a wide area. Control policies for diseases such as Taenia solium, Trypanosomiasis, Trichinellosis, Toxoplasmosis or African Swine Fever therefore require a community-wide focus and pig farmers require education on the inherent risks of keeping pigs under a free range system. The work presented here will enable future research to incorporate movement data into studies of disease transmission, for example for the understanding of transmission of African Swine Fever between individuals, or in relation to the life-cycle of parasites including Taenia solium.
Pulmonary artery intimal sarcoma: poor 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose uptake in positron emission computed tomography
Authors: Lee Dong-Hyup , Jung Tae-Eun , Lee Jang-Hoon , Shin Dong-Gu , Park Won-Jong , Choi Jun-Hyuk
Published: March 2013

Intimal sarcoma of the pulmonary artery is a rare malignant tumor that may be misdiagnosed as chronic pulmonary thromboembolism, even if various imaging techniques are used. We report a case of a 58-year-old man with pulmonary artery intimal sarcoma.18F-fleuorodeoxyglucose (FDG) uptake was poor in the mass of the pulmonary artery, and no other hypermetabolic lesions were noted elsewhere. Our presumptive diagnosis was a massive mural thrombus and a concomitant chronic thromboembolism. Intravenous heparin and recombinant human tissue-type plasminogen activator was subsequently administered. However, the patient needed an emergency operation for sudden aggravation of the vital signs, and the tissue diagnosis was intimal sarcoma with poor clinical outcomes.
Histamine up-regulates fibroblast growth factor receptor 1 and increases FOXP2 neurons in cultured neural precursors by histamine type 1 receptor activation: conceivable role of histamine in neurogenesis during cortical development in vivo
Authors: Molina-Hernández Anayansi , Rodríguez-Martínez Griselda , Escobedo-Ávila Itzel , Velasco Iván
Published: March 2013

Background

During rat development, histamine (HA) is one of the first neuroactive molecules to appear in the brain, reaching its maximal value at embryonic day 14, a period when neurogenesis of deep layers is occurring in the cerebral cortex, suggesting a role of this amine in neuronal specification. We previously reported, using high-density cerebrocortical neural precursor cultures, that micromolar HA enhanced the effect of fibroblast growth factor (FGF)-2 on proliferation, and that HA increased neuronal differentiation, due to HA type 1 receptor (H1R) activation.

Results

Clonal experiments performed here showed that HA decreased colony size and caused a significant increase in the percentage of clones containing mature neurons through H1R stimulation. In proliferating precursors, we studied whether HA activates G protein-coupled receptors linked to intracellular calcium increases. Neural cells presented an increase in cytoplasmic calcium even in the absence of extracellular calcium, a response mediated by H1R. Since FGF receptors (FGFRs) are known to be key players in cell proliferation and differentiation, we determined whether HA modifies the expression of FGFRs1-4 by using RT-PCR. An important transcriptional increase in FGFR1 was elicited after H1R activation. We also tested whether HA promotes differentiation specifically to neurons with molecular markers of different cortical layers by immunocytochemistry. HA caused significant increases in cells expressing the deep layer neuronal marker FOXP2; this induction of FOXP2-positive neurons elicited by HA was blocked by the H1R antagonist chlorpheniramine in vitro. Finally, we found a notable decrease in FOXP2+ cortical neurons in vivo, when chlorpheniramine was infused in the cerebral ventricles through intrauterine injection.

Conclusion

These results show that HA, by activating H1R, has a neurogenic effect in clonal conditions and suggest that intracellular calcium elevation and transcriptional up-regulation of FGFR1 participate in HA-induced neuronal differentiation to FOXP2 cells in vitro; furthermore, H1R blockade in vivo resulted in decreased cortical FOXP2+ neurons.
Two biochemically distinct lipophosphoglycans from Leishmania braziliensis and Leishmania infantum trigger different innate immune responses in murine macrophages
Authors: Ibraim Izabela Coimbra , de Assis Rafael Ramiro , Pessoa Natália Lima , Campos Marco Antônio , Melo Maria Norma , Turco Salvatore Joseph , Soares Rodrigo Pedro
Published: March 2013

Background

The dominant, cell surface lipophosphoglycan (LPG) ofLeishmaniais a multifunctional molecule involved in the interaction with vertebrate and invertebrate hosts. Although the role of LPG on infection has been extensively studied, it is not known if LPG interspecies variations contribute to the different immunopathologies of leishmaniases. To investigate the issue of interspecies polymorphisms, twoLeishmaniaspecies from the New World that express structural variations of side chains of LPG repeat units were examined. In this context, the procyclic form ofL. braziliensisLPG (strain M2903), is devoid of side chains, while theL. infantumLPG (strain BH46) has up to three glucoses residues in the repeat units.

Methods

Mice peritoneal macrophages from Balb/c, C57BL/6 and knock-out (TLR2−/−, TLR4−/−) were primed with IFN-γ and stimulated with purified LPG from both species. Nitric oxide and cytokine production, MAPKs (ERK, p38 and JNK) and NF-kB activation were evaluated.

Results

Macrophages stimulated withL. braziliensisLPG, had a higher TNF-α, IL-1β, IL-6 and NO production than those stimulated with that ofL. infantum. Furthermore, the LPGs from the two species resulted in differential kinetics of signaling via MAPK activation.L. infantumLPG exhibited a gradual activation profile, whereasL. braziliensisLPG showed a sharp but transient activation.L. braziliensisLPG was able to activate NF-kB.

Conclusion

These data suggest that two biochemically distinct LPGs were able to differentially modulate macrophage functions.
Antioxidant capacity of calendula officinalis flowers extract and prevention of radiation induced oropharyngeal mucositis in patients with head and neck cancers: a randomized controlled clinical study
Authors: Babaee Neda , Moslemi Dariush , Khalilpour Mohammad , Vejdani Fatemeh , Moghadamnia Yasaman , Bijani Ali , Baradaran Mahmoud , Kazemi Mohammad Taghi , Khalilpour Asieh , Pouramir Mahdi , Moghadamnia Ali Akbar
Published: March 2013

This study was designed to determine the effect of Calendula officinalis flowers extract mouthwash as oral gel on radiation-induced oropharyngeal mucositis (OM) in patients with head-and-neck cancer. Forty patients with neck and head cancers under radiotherapy or concurrent chemoradiotherapy protocols were randomly assigned to receive either 2% calendula extract mouthwash or placebo (20 patients in each group). Patients were treated with telecobalt radiotherapy at conventional fractionation (200 cGy/fraction, five fractions weekly, 30–35 fractions within 4–7 weeks). The oropharyngeal mucositis was evaluated by two clinical investigators (a radiation oncologist and a dentist), using the oral mucositis assessment scale (OMAS). Trying to find out the possible mechanism of action of the treatment, total antioxidant, polyphenol and flavonoid contents, and quercetin concentration of the mouth wash were measured. Calendula mouthwash significantly decreased the intensity of OM compared to placebo at week 2 (score: 5.5 vs. 6.8, p = 0.019), week 3 (score: 8.25 vs. 10.95, p < 0.0001) and week 6 (score: 11.4 vs. 13.35, p = 0.031). Total antioxidant, polyphenol and flavonoid contents and quercetin concentration of the 2% extract were 2353.4 ± 56.5 μM, 313.40 ± 6.52 mg/g, 76.66 ± 23.24 mg/g, and 19.41 ± 4.34 mg/l, respectively. Calendula extract gel could be effective on decreasing the intensity of radiotherapy- induced OM during the treatment and antioxidant capacity may be partly responsible for the effect.
The care process of diabetic foot ulcer patients: a qualitative study in Iran
Authors: Aliasgharpour Mansooreh , Nayeri Nahid Dehghan
Published: March 2013

Background

The Purpose of this study is to clarify the care process for Iranian diabetic patients with diabetic foot ulcer condition.

Methods

The main question of this research was “How is the care process for diabetic foot ulcer patients and how do patients experience it?” This study was within the Grounded Theory method. Data collection was carried out until data saturation was achieved. Saturation was achieved after interviewing 11 patients, 4 physicians, one head nurse and one nurse.

Results

Three main themes emerged from this study, including: “disease management, disease experience and continuity of care”. Each of these themes is consisted of different sub-themes.

Conclusions

This is the first study to describe the care process in Iranian diabetic patients with diabetic foot ulcer disease. Knowing patients’ experience and the manner of dealing with them once faced with foot ulcer condition could facilitate a comprehensive decision making by therapists and better recovery of diabetic patients.