bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Mental Health Needs in Adolescents with Intellectual Disabilities: Cross‐Sectional Survey of a Service Sample
Authors: Hassiotis A , Turk J
Published: January 2012

Background  Little research has been conducted on the mental health needs of adolescents with intellectual disability, despite the severity and rates of such needs being high throughout childhood and in adulthood. We have investigated the prevalence and predictors of mental health needs and service use in adolescents with intellectual disabilities.

Materials and Methods  Service‐based sample (n = 75) in one catchment area. Individual assessments were carried out. The main outcome was the presence of mental health needs measured by the Developmental Behaviour Checklist.

Results  Prevalence of mental health needs increased from 51% as reported by parents to 67% as judged by clinical interviews. Caseness was associated with low adaptive functioning, diagnosis of autism and family history of mental illness. High scores on parent reports of participant mental ill‐health showed negative correlations with adaptive functioning scores. Most individuals were in receipt of social and health care. Half of the participants had sought help for mental health needs. Almost half of those receiving medication were on psychiatric medication.

Conclusions  Adolescents with intellectual disabilities may have considerable mental health problems which are functionally impairing yet frequently unidentified and hence untreated. Identification of those at risk and undertaking of a comprehensive needs assessment are essential to maximize potential and quality of life and to reduce further deficits and social exclusion.
Context Influences the Motivation for Stereotypic and Repetitive Behaviour in Children Diagnosed with Intellectual Disability with and without Autism
Authors: Joosten Annette V. , Bundy Anita C. , Einfeld Stewart L.
Published: January 2012

Background  Children are motivated to engage in stereotypic and repetitive behaviours for a number of reasons. Their motivation seems to change according to context, but little empirical evidence supports that observation. Interventions designed to reduce the behaviours may be improved by an increased understanding of the interaction between motivation and context.

Method  Using Rasch analysis, we analysed data describing stereotypic behaviours from 279 Revised Motivation Assessment Scales (MAS:R). Data were gathered from two groups of children: Group 1 with intellectual disability (n = 37) and Group 2 with both intellectual disability and autism (n = 37). We examined behaviours in three contexts: free time, transition and while engaged in tasks. MAS:R distinguishes two intrinsic motivators: enhanced sensation and decreased anxiety and three extrinsic motivators: seeking attention or objects or escape.

Results  Significant differences in motivators were observed during free time and transition. No one motivator predominated while children were engaged in tasks. For both groups, sensory enhancement was a more likely motivator in free time and anxiety reduction was a more likely motivator during transition. Transition was the context most likely to influence extrinsic motivators, but there were significant differences between the groups.

Conclusions  Context influences the motivation for stereotyped and repetitive behaviours. Transition has a particularly powerful effect.
Choosing Staff Members Reduces Time in Mechanical Restraint Due to Self‐Injurious Behaviour and Requesting Restraint
Authors: Jensen Craig C. , Lydersen Tore , Johnson Paul R. , Weiss Shannon R. , Marconi Michael R. , Cleave Mary L. , Weber Patricia
Published: January 2012

Background  Using mechanical restraints to protect a person who engaged in dangerous self‐injury was decreased by manipulation of an establishing operation involving the client choosing the staff person who would work with her.

Materials and Methods  The client was a 28‐year‐old woman diagnosed with autism, bipolar disorder, static cerebral encephalopathy, moderate intellectual disabilities, hypotonia and musculoskeletal deformities. She had a history of biting herself and further bites could produce irreversible nerve damage. Mechanical restraints were applied when she bit, tried to bite herself or asked for them.

Results  When she was allowed to choose staff members, the use of mechanical restraint decreased.

Conclusion  Reducing the time spent in mechanical restraint by giving the client a choice of staff members who would work with her demonstrates that such a choice may be an establishing operation. The usefulness of cumulative records and scatterplots to evaluate changes in the occurrence of self‐injurious behaviour (SIB) and associated mechanical restraint is shown as are the advantages of using alternating treatment designs to assess the effectiveness of treatment conditions for someone who exhibits long‐term cyclic behaviour.
Parents’ and Service Providers’ Perceptions of the Family Goal Setting Tool: A Pilot Study
Authors: Rodger Sylvia , O’Keefe Amy , Cook Madonna , Jones Judy
Published: January 2012

Background  This qualitative study describes parents’ and service providers’ experiences in using the Family Goal Setting Tool (FGST). This article looks specifically at the tool’s perceived clinical utility during annual, collaborative goal setting.

Methods  Participants included eight parents and ten service providers involved in a Family and Early Childhood Service in Queensland, Australia. Participants were interviewed individually (parents and one service provider) or in a focus group (service providers). The transcribed interviews were analysed using standard content analysis techniques.

Results  Four key themes emerged including: (i) the facilitation of goal setting, (ii) strengths‐based focus, (iii) family centred processes and (iv) family empowerment.

Conclusions  Both parents’ and service providers’ were positive about the FGST. Insights into barriers to holistic goal setting and the clinical utility of the tool are described. Further refinement of the tool and trial in a range of early intervention contexts is required.
Epigenetic dysregulation of the dopamine system in diet‐induced obesity
Authors: Vucetic Zivjena , Carlin Jesse Lea , Totoki Kathy , Reyes Teresa M.
Published: January 2012

J. Neurochem. (2012) 120, 891–898.

Chronic intake of high‐fat (HF) diet is known to alter brain neurotransmitter systems that participate in the central regulation of food intake. Dopamine (DA) system changes in response to HF diet have been observed in the hypothalamus, important in the homeostatic control of food intake, as well as within the central reward circuitry [ventral tegmental area (VTA), nucleus accumbens (NAc), and pre‐frontal cortex (PFC)], critical for coding the rewarding properties of palatable food and important in hedonically driven feeding behavior. Using a mouse model of diet‐induced obesity (DIO), significant alterations in the expression of DA‐related genes were documented in adult animals, and the general pattern of gene expression changes was opposite within the hypothalamus versus the reward circuitry (increased vs. decreased, respectively). Differential DNA methylation was identified within the promoter regions of tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) and dopamine transporter (DAT), and the pattern of this response was consistent with the pattern of gene expression. Behaviors consistent with increased hypothalamic DA and decreased reward circuitry DA were observed. These data identify differential DNA methylation as an epigenetic mechanism linking the chronic intake of HF diet with altered DA‐related gene expression, and this response varies by brain region and DNA sequence.
Endothelial actions of atrial and B‐type natriuretic peptides
Authors: Kuhn Michaela
Published: January 2012

The cardiac hormone atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP) is critically involved in the maintenance of arterial blood pressure and intravascular volume homeostasis. Its cGMP‐producing GC‐A receptor is densely expressed in the microvascular endothelium of the lung and systemic circulation, but the functional relevance is controversial. Some studies reported that ANP stimulates endothelial cell permeability, whereas others described that the peptide attenuates endothelial barrier dysfunction provoked by inflammatory agents such as thrombin or histamine. Many studies in vitro addressed the effects of ANP on endothelial proliferation and migration. Again, both pro‐ and anti‐angiogenic properties were described. To unravel the role of the endothelial actions of ANP in vivo, we inactivated the murine GC‐A gene selectively in endothelial cells by homologous loxP/Cre‐mediated recombination. Our studies in these mice indicate that ANP, via endothelial GC‐A, increases endothelial albumin permeability in the microcirculation of the skin and skeletal muscle. This effect is critically involved in the endocrine hypovolaemic, hypotensive actions of the cardiac hormone. On the other hand the homologous GC‐A‐activating B‐type NP (BNP), which is produced by cardiac myocytes and many other cell types in response to stressors such as hypoxia, possibly exerts more paracrine than endocrine actions. For instance, within the ischaemic skeletal muscle BNP released from activated satellite cells can improve the regeneration of neighbouring endothelia. This review will focus on recent advancements in our understanding of endothelial NP/GC‐A signalling in the pulmonary versus systemic circulation. It will discuss possible mechanisms accounting for the discrepant observations made for the endothelial actions of this hormone‐receptor system and distinguish between (patho)physiological and pharmacological actions. Lastly it will emphasize the potential therapeutical implications derived from the actions of NPs on endothelial permeability and regeneration.
Novel Serum and Urine Markers for Pediatric Appendicitis
Authors: Kharbanda Anupam B. , Rai Alex J. , Cosme Yohaimi , Liu Khin , Dayan Peter S.
Published: January 2012

ACADEMIC EMERGENCY MEDICINE 2012; 19: 56–62 © 2012 by the Society for Academic Emergency Medicine

Objectives:  The objective was to describe the association between two novel biomarkers, calprotectin and leucine‐rich alpha glycoprotein‐1 (LRG), and appendicitis in children.

Methods:  This was a prospective, cross‐sectional study of children 3 to 18 years old presenting to a pediatric emergency department (ED) with possible appendicitis. Blood and urine samples were assayed for calprotectin and LRG via enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Final diagnosis was determined by histopathology or telephone follow‐up. Biomarker levels were compared for subjects with and without appendicitis. Recursive partitioning was used to identify thresholds that predicted appendicitis.

Results:  Of 176 subjects, mean (±SD) age was 11.6 (±4.0) years and 52% were male. Fifty‐eight patients (34%) were diagnosed with appendicitis. Median plasma calprotectin, serum LRG, and urine LRG levels were higher in appendicitis versus nonappendicitis (p < 0.008). When stratified by perforation status, median plasma calprotectin and serum LRG levels were higher in nonperforated appendicitis versus nonappendicitis (p < 0.01). Median serum LRG, urine LRG, and plasma calprotectin levels were higher in perforated appendicitis compared to nonperforated appendicitis (p < 0.05). Urine calprotectin did not differ among groups. A serum LRG < 40,150 ng/mL, a urine LRG < 42 ng/mL, and a plasma calprotectin < 159 ng/mL, each provided a sensitivity and negative predictive value of 100% to identify children at low risk for appendicitis, but with specificities ranging from 23% to 35%. The standard white blood cell (WBC) count achieved 100% sensitivity at a higher specificity than both novel biomarkers.

Conclusions:  Plasma calprotectin and serum/urine LRG are elevated in pediatric appendicitis. No individual marker performed as well as the WBC count.
Measuring passive myocardial stiffness in Drosophila melanogaster to investigate diastolic dysfunction
Authors: Kaushik Gaurav , Zambon Alexander C. , Fuhrmann Alexander , Bernstein Sanford I. , Bodmer Rolf , Engler Adam J. , Cammarato Anthony
Published: January 2012

Aging is marked by a decline in LV diastolic function, which encompasses abnormalities in diastolic relaxation, chamber filling and/or passive myocardial stiffness. Genetic tractability and short life span make Drosophila melanogaster an ideal organism to study the effects of aging on heart function, including senescent‐associated changes in gene expression and in passive myocardial stiffness. However, use of the Drosophila heart tube to probe deterioration of diastolic performance is subject to at least two challenges: the extent of genetic homology to mammals and the ability to resolve mechanical properties of the bilayered fly heart, which consists of a ventral muscle layer that covers the contractile cardiomyocytes. Here, we argue for widespread use of Drosophila as a novel myocardial aging model by (1) describing diastolic dysfunction in flies, (2) discussing how critical pathways involved in dysfunction are conserved across species and (3) demonstrating the advantage of an atomic force microscopy‐based analysis method to measure stiffness of the multilayered Drosophila heart tube versus isolated myocytes from other model systems. By using powerful Drosophila genetic tools, we aim to efficiently alter changes observed in factors that contribute to diastolic dysfunction to understand how one might improve diastolic performance at advanced ages in humans.
A fibronectin‐fibrinogen‐tropoelastin coating reduces smooth muscle cell growth but improves endothelial cell function
Authors: Tersteeg Claudia , Roest Mark , Mak‐Nienhuis Elske M. , Ligtenberg Erik , Hoefer Imo E. , de Groot Philip G. , Pasterkamp Gerard
Published: January 2012

Reendothelialization of the stent surface after percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) is known to be an important determinant of clinical outcome. We compared the effects of biological stent coatings, fibronectin, fibrinogen and tropoelastin, on human umbilical vein endothelial cell (HUVEC) and vascular smooth muscle cell (VSMC) characteristics. Umbilical cord arterial segments were cultured on coated surfaces and VSMC outgrowth (indicating proliferation and migration) was measured after 12 days. mRNA was isolated from HUVEC and VSMC cultured on these coatings and gene expression was profiled by QPCR. Procoagulant properties of HUVEC were determined by an indirect chromogenic assay which detects tissue factor activity. The varying stent coatings influence VSMC outgrowth: 31.2 ± 4.0 mm2 on fibronectin, 1.6 ± 0.3 mm2 on tropoelastin and 8.1 ± 1.5 mm2 on a mixture of fibronectin/fibrinogen/tropoelastin, although HUVEC migration remains unaffected. Culturing HUVEC on tropoelastin induces increased expression of VCAM‐1 (13.1 ± 4.4 pg/ml), ICAM‐1 (5.1 ± 1.3 pg/ml) and IL‐8 (11.6 ± 3.1 pg/ml) compared to fibronectin (0.7 ± 0.2, 0.8 ± 0.2, 2.3 ± 0.5 pg/ml, respectively), although expression levels on fibronectin/fibrinogen/tropoelastin remain unaltered. No significant differences in VCAM‐1, ICAM‐1 and IL‐8 mRNA expression are found in VSMC. Finally, HUVEC cultured on tropoelastin display a fivefold increased tissue factor activity (511.6 ± 26.7%), compared to cells cultured on fibronectin (100 ± 3.9%) or fibronectin/fibrinogen/tropoelastin (76.3 ± 25.0%). These results indicate that tropoelastin inhibits VSMC migration but leads to increased inflammatory and procoagulant markers on endothelial cells. Fibronectin/fibrinogen/tropoelastin inhibits VSMCs while compensating the inflammatory and procoagulant effects. These data suggest that coating a mixture of fibronectin/fibrinogen/tropoelastin on a stent may promote reendothelialization, while keeping unfavourable processes such as restenosis and procoagulant activity limited.
Position of the mental foramen on panoramic radiographs and its relation to the horizontal course of the mandibular canal: a computed tomographic analysis
Authors: Pyun Jung‐Hoon , Lim Young‐Jun , Kim Myung‐Joo , Ahn Sug‐Joon , Kim Jin
Published: January 2012

Aim

The purposes of this study were (1) to investigate the bucco‐lingual course of the mandibular canal in the bony structure and (2) to figure out the relationship between the position of mental foramen on panoramic radiographs and the horizontal course of the mandibular canal.

Materials and methods

A database of panoramic radiography and spiral computed tomography (CT) scans was searched and 100 subjects were selected based on the criteria. Mental foramina were classified into four groups according to its antero‐posterior position. Three measurements were made on each slice of coronal CT scans at three different points: (1) apex of second premolar; (2) median point of two root apexes of first molar; and (3) median point of two root apexes of second molar. The bucco‐lingual ratios were calculated to access the relative bucco‐lingual position of the mandibular canal.

Results

The distribution of subjects according to the type of mental foramen was: (1) type 3, 67%; (2) type 2, 26%; (3) type 4, 5%; and (4) type 1, 2%. The overall horizontal course of the mandibular canal was relatively constant from the second molar to first molar, whereas much significant directional change was found on the remaining course. Between types 2 and 3, no statistically significant differences were found at the level of the second molar and first molar (P = 0.461 and 0.965, respectively). Only below the second premolar, significant differences were found (P = 0.001).

Conclusions

Based on the findings of our computed tomographic image analysis, the position of mental foramen on panoramic radiographs was affected by its horizontal course of inferior alveolar nerve. The significant horizontal direction change of the course was found after the canal passing below the mandibular first molar regardless of the antero‐posterior position of mental foramen.
Abortion‐Prone Mating Influences Alteration of Systemic a2 Vacuolar ATPase Expression in Spleen and Blood Immune Cells
Authors: Jaiswal Mukesh K. , Mallers Timothy M. , Kwong Christina , Chaouat Gerard , Gilman‐Sachs Alice , Beaman Kenneth D.
Published: January 2012

Problem

a2 isoform of vacuolar ATPase (Atp6v0a2) is important for maintaining the delicate immunological balance required for successful pregnancy. The objective of this investigation is to study the dynamic changes in spleen and blood that appear during spontaneous abortion in mice.

Method of study

Atp6v0a2 was measured in multiple immune cell populations from spleen and blood recovered from non–abortion‐prone and abortion‐prone mating combinations.

Results

Atp6v0a2 expression was significantly lower (P ≤ 0.01) in the spleen recovered from abortion‐prone ♀CBA × ♂DBA mating on days 12 and 16 of pregnancy when compared to non–abortion‐prone ♀BALB/c × ♂BALB/c and ♀CBA × ♂BALB/c matings. Flow cytometric studies showed that significantly decreased expression of Atp6v0a2 in splenic CD4+, CD8+, CD19+, and CD14+ cells directly correlated with the high percentages of fetal resorption observed in abortion‐prone mating on days 12 and 16 of pregnancy. In blood, CD4+, CD8+, and CD19+ cells had a significantly reduced expression of Atp6v0a2 in abortion‐prone mating compared to the non–abortion‐prone mating combinations only on day 12.

Conclusion

This deceased expression of Atp6v0a2 in the various immune cell populations of the spleen and blood suggests that the maternal environment is not supportive to fetus and leads to poor pregnancy outcome in the abortion‐prone mating model.
Impact of BDNF Val66Met and 5‐HTTLPR polymorphism variants on neural substrates related to sadness and executive function
Authors: Wang L. , Ashley‐Koch A. , Steffens D. C. , Krishnan K. R. R. , Taylor W. D.
Published: January 2012

The brain‐derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) Val66Met allelic variation is linked to both the occurrence of mood disorders and antidepressant response. These findings are not universally observed, and the mechanism by which this variation results in increased risk for mood disorders is unclear. One possible explanation is an epistatic relationship with other neurotransmitter genes associated with depression risk, such as the serotonin‐transporter‐linked promotor region (5‐HTTLPR). Further, it is unclear how the coexistence of the BDNF Met and 5‐HTTLPR S variants affects the function of the affective and cognitive control systems. To address this question, we conducted a functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) study in 38 older adults (20 healthy and 18 remitted from major depressive disorder). Subjects performed an emotional oddball task during the fMRI scan and provided blood samples for genotyping. Our analyses examined the relationship between genotypes and brain activation to sad distractors and attentional targets. We found that 5‐HTTLPR S allele carriers exhibited stronger activation in the amygdala in response to sad distractors, whereas BDNF Met carriers exhibited increased activation to sad stimuli but decreased activation to attentional targets in the dorsolateral prefrontal and dorsomedial prefrontal cortices. In addition, subjects with both the S allele and Met allele genes exhibited increased activation to sad stimuli in the subgenual cingulate and posterior cingulate. Our results indicate that the Met allele alone or in combination with 5‐HTTLPR S allele may increase reactivity to sad stimuli, which might represent a neural mechanism underlying increased depression vulnerability.
Consumer Independence, Vulnerability and Public Policy: The Case of Free Matter for the Blind
Authors: RINALDO SHANNON B.
Published: January 2012

Legislation limiting access to advertising may inadvertently limit consumers from independently making consumption decisions. This article addresses the possibility that legislation limiting access to information may inadvertently create vulnerability for the consumers it is meant to protect. A specific public policy outlining the Free Matter for the Blind or Handicapped program is discussed.
The Commonplace Geopolitics of Conspiracy
Authors: Jones Laura
Published: January 2012

Conspiracy narratives and ways of knowing are a highly visible, accessible and increasingly commonplace part of contemporary global life, permeating across spheres of politics, science and popular culture. Catalyzed by rapid developments in networked media and a political climate of enhanced government secrecy following the 9/11 terrorist attacks, thinking conspiratorially about power forms part of a broader global public challenge to State control over access to information and knowledge. Rather than relegate the study of conspiracy to a marginalised and discredited form of dissent (‘conspiracy theory’), this article proposes how geographers can bring a critical attention to the multiple spatialities inherent in and produced through discourses of conspiracy; the ways of knowing and practising the world which conspiracy informs for differently placed subjects, both publics and politicians alike, across the political spectrum. This discursive understanding of conspiracy is developed in relation to the critical geopolitics scholarship and recent concerns within this literature towards producing more situated, embodied and emotional accounts of geopolitics stemming from engagements with non‐representational and feminist theory. Grounding the geopolitical analysis of conspiracy discourse in these concerns, the types of geographies that might emerge is explored through empirical research conducted on and with the 9/11 Truth Movement. Here the convergence of heterogeneous political actors around their conviction in a US government conspiracy exposes some of the possibilities and problematics which attending to the commonplace geopolitics of conspiracy opens up for ongoing research.
Effect of Cooking on Radiation‐Induced Chemical Markers in Beef and Pork during Storage
Authors: Kwon Joong‐Ho , Kwon Youngju , Kausar Tusneem , Nam Ki‐Chang , Rok Min Byong , Joo Lee Eun , Ahn Dong U.
Published: January 2012

Abstract:  Raw and cooked beef and pork loins were irradiated at 0 or 5 kGy. The radiation‐induced marker compounds, such as hydrocarbons, 2‐alkylcyclobutanones (2‐ACBs), and sulfur volatiles, were determined after 0 and 6 mo of frozen storage. Two hydrocarbons (8‐heptadecene [C17:1] and 6,9‐heptadecadiene [C17:2]) and two 2‐ACBs (2‐dodecylcyclobutanone [2‐DCB] and 2‐tetradecylcyclobutanone [2‐TCB]) were detected only in irradiated raw and cooked meats. Although precooked irradiated meats produced more hydrocarbons and 2‐ACBs than the irradiated cooked ones, the amounts of individual hydrocarbons and 2‐ACBs, such as 8‐heptadecene, 6,9‐heptadecadiene, 2‐DCB, and 2‐TCB, were sufficient enough to detect whether the meat was irradiated or not. Dimethyl disulfide and dimethyl trisulfide were also determined only in irradiated meats but dimethyl trisulfide disappeared after 6 mo of frozen storage under oxygen‐permeable packaging conditions. The results indicated that 8‐heptadecene, 6,9‐heptadecadiene, 2‐DCB, 2‐TCB, and dimethyl disulfide, even though they were decreased with storage, could be used as marker compounds for the detection of irradiated beef and pork regardless of cooking under the frozen conditions for 6 mo.

Practical Application:  Radiation‐induced chemical changes such as specific hydrocarbons, 2‐ACBs, and sulfur volatiles may be used as potential identification markers by regulatory authorities to confirm irradiation history of frozen stored raw or cooked beef and pork.
Changes in Shallow Groundwater Quality Beneath Recently Urbanized Areas in the Memphis, Tennessee Area1
Authors: Barlow Jeannie R.B. , Kingsbury James A. , Coupe Richard H.
Published: January 2012

Barlow, Jeannie R.B., James A. Kingsbury, and Richard H. Coupe, 2012. Changes in Shallow Groundwater Quality Beneath Recently Urbanized Areas in the Memphis, Tennessee Area. Journal of the American Water Resources Association (JAWRA) 48(2): 336‐354. DOI: 10.1111/j.1752‐1688.2011.00616.x

Abstract:  Memphis, the largest city in the state of Tennessee, and its surrounding suburbs depend on a confined aquifer, the Memphis aquifer, for drinking water. Concern over the potential for downward movement of water from an overlying shallow aquifer to the underlying Memphis aquifer provided impetus for monitoring groundwater quality within the shallow aquifer. The occurrence of volatile organic compounds (VOCs), nitrate, and pesticides in samples from the shallow well network indicate a widespread affect on water quality from the overlying urban land use. Total pesticide concentration was generally higher in more recently recharged groundwater indicating that as the proportion of recent water increases, the occurrence of pesticides related to the current urban land use also increases. Groundwater samples with nitrate concentrations greater than 1.5 mg/l and detectable concentrations of the pesticides atrazine and simazine also had higher concentrations of chloroform, a VOC primarily associated with urban land use, than in other samples. The age of the water from these wells indicates that these concentrations are most likely not representative of past agricultural use, but of more recent urban use of these chemicals. Given that the median age of water represented by the shallow well network was 21 years, a lag time likely exists between changes in land use and the occurrence of constituents related to urbanization in shallow groundwater.
Vocational interests of intellectually gifted and highly achieving young adults
Authors: Vock Miriam , Köller Olaf , Nagy Gabriel
Published: January 2012

Background. Vocational interests play a central role in the vocational decision‐making process and are decisive for the later job satisfaction and vocational success. Based on Ackerman's (1996) notion of trait complexes, specific interest profiles of gifted high‐school graduates can be expected.

Aims. Vocational interests of gifted and highly achieving adolescents were compared to those of their less intelligent/achieving peers according to Holland's (1997) RIASEC model. Further, the impact of intelligence and achievement on interests were analysed while statistically controlling for potentially influencing variables. Changes in interests over time were investigated.

Sample. N= 4,694 German students (age: M= 19.5, SD= .80; 54.6% females) participated in the study (TOSCA; Köller, Watermann, Trautwein, & Lüdtke, 2004).

Method. Interests were assessed in participants’ final year at school and again 2 years later (N= 2,318).

Results. Gifted participants reported stronger investigative and realistic interests, but lower social interests than less intelligent participants. Highly achieving participants reported higher investigative and (in wave 2) higher artistic interests. Considerable gender differences were found: gifted girls had a flat interest profile, while gifted boys had pronounced realistic and investigative and low social interests. Multilevel multiple regression analyses predicting interests by intelligence and school achievement revealed stable interest profiles. Beyond a strong gender effect, intelligence and school achievement each contributed substantially to the prediction of vocational interests.

Conclusions. At the time around graduation from high school, gifted young adults show stable interest profiles, which strongly differ between gender and intelligence groups. These differences are relevant for programmes for the gifted and for vocational counselling.
Optogenetic activation of LiGluR‐expressing astrocytes evokes anion channel‐mediated glutamate release
Authors: Li Dongdong , Hérault Karine , Isacoff Ehud Y. , Oheim Martin , Ropert Nicole
Published: January 2012

Non‐technical summary  Ca2+ increases in astrocytes have been suggested to trigger the release of neuroactive compounds called gliotransmitters. To study the mechanism of gliotransmitter release, it is desirable to have a method able to selectively and reproducibly evoke Ca2+ increases in astrocytes. Here, we show that the optogenetic tool the light‐gated glutamate receptor 6 (LiGluR) reproducibly evokes Ca2+ rises in cultured astrocytes. Combining LiGluR photoactivation and evanescent‐field Ca2+ imaging, we explored the cellular mechanism of gliotransmitter release from astrocytes in an all‐optical manner. The results suggest that high Ca2+ in astrocytes triggers the release of glutamate via anion channels rather than vesicular exocytosis.
Nitric oxide synthase inhibition prevents activity‐induced calcineurin–NFATc1 signalling and fast‐to‐slow skeletal muscle fibre type conversions
Authors: Martins Karen J. B. , St‐Louis Mathieu , Murdoch Gordon K. , MacLean Ian M. , McDonald Pamela , Dixon Walter T. , Putman Charles T. , Michel Robin N.
Published: January 2012

Key points 

Exercise is known to trigger skeletal muscle structural and functional adaptations.

Control of these adaptive alterations is a complex process involving multiple signalling pathways and levels of regulation.

The well‐characterized calcineurin–nuclear factor of activated T‐cells (NFATc1) signalling pathway is involved in the regulation of activity‐dependent alterations in skeletal muscle myosin heavy chain expression. Myosin heavy chain is a contractile protein that largely dictates a muscle's speed of contraction.

We show that a signalling molecule called nitric oxide may be regulating alterations in myosin heavy chain expression via activity‐modulated calcineurin–NFATc1 signalling.

These findings increase our understanding of how skeletal muscle adaptive alterations are regulated.
Acetazolamide improves loop gain but not the other physiological traits causing obstructive sleep apnoea
Authors: Edwards Bradley A. , Sands Scott A. , Eckert Danny J. , White David P. , Butler James P. , Owens Robert L. , Malhotra Atul , Wellman Andrew
Published: January 2012

Key points 

Obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA) probably results from the interaction of key pathophysiological traits including compromised pharyngeal anatomy, inadequate upper‐airway muscle function, high ventilatory response to a change in ventilation (high loop gain), and a low arousal threshold.

Because the standard therapy with positive airway pressure is often poorly tolerated, alternative options have long been sought which have included various pharmacological interventions.

Acetazolamide may be a useful therapeutic tool, yet there have been few studies examining how it affects the traits causing OSA.

Our study demonstrates that acetazolamide reduces loop gain by approximately 40% in individuals with OSA, but has little impact on the remaining OSA traits.

The marked reduction in loop gain with acetazolamide suggests that acetazolamide may be of therapeutic benefit when used alone or in combination with other therapies to treat individuals whose loop gain is known to contribute to OSA.
Knowledge, attitudes and preferences regarding genetic testing for smoking cessation. A cross-sectional survey among Dutch smokers
Authors: Quaak Marieke , Smerecnik Chris , van Schooten Frederik J , de Vries Hein , van Schayck Constant P
Published: January 2012

Objectives

Recent research strongly suggests that genetic variation influences smokers' ability to stop. Therefore, the use of (pharmaco) genetic testing may increase cessation rates. This study aims to assess the intention of smokers concerning undergoing genetic testing for smoking cessation and their knowledge, attitudes and preferences about this subject.

Design

Online cross-sectional survey.

Setting

Database internet research company of which every inhabitant of the Netherlands of ≥12 years with an email address and capable of understanding Dutch can become a member.

Participants

587 of 711 Dutch smokers aged ≥18 years, daily smokers for ≥5 years and smoke on average ≥10 cigarettes/day (response rate=83%).

Primary and secondary outcome measures

Smokers' knowledge, attitudes and preferences and their intention to undergo genetic testing for smoking cessation.

Results

Knowledge on the influence of genetic factors in smoking addiction and cessation was found to be low. Smokers underestimated their chances of having a genetic predisposition and the influence of this on smoking cessation. Participants perceived few disadvantages, some advantages and showed moderate self-efficacy towards undergoing a genetic test and dealing with the results. Smokers were mildly interested in receiving information and participating in genetic testing, especially when offered by their general practitioner (GP).

Conclusions

For successful implementation of genetic testing for smoking in general practice, several issues should be addressed, such as the knowledge on smoking cessation, genetics and genetic testing (including advantages and disadvantages) and the influence of genetics on smoking addiction and cessation. Furthermore, smokers allocate their GPs a crucial role in the provision of information and the delivery of a genetic test for smoking; however, it is unclear whether GPs will be able and willing to take on this role.
Body temperature and standard metabolic rate of the female viviparous lizard Eremias multiocellata during reproduction
Authors: Yue Feng , Tang Xiao-Long , Zhang De-Jiu , Yan Xue-Feng , Xin Ying , Chen Qiang
Published: January 2012

The body temperature (Tb) and standard metabolic rate (SMR) of female Eremias multiocellata Günther, 1872, a viviparous lizard, were measured at 25, 30, and 35 °C during pregnancy and after parturition to assess energy requirement of reproduction. The results showed that the Tbs of female lizards were slightly higher than actual ambient temperature in the 25 and 30 °C groups, while they were slightly lower than ambient temperature in the 35 °C group. Ambient temperature significantly affected SMR and gestation period of females. Energy requirement was constant in nonpregnant females, whereas it was increased in pregnant females. The maximal estimates of maintenance costs of pregnancy (MCP) were 4.219, 4.220, and 4.448 mg CO2·min–1, which accounted for 19.40%, 14.15%, and 12.32% of the total metabolic rate in the 25, 30, and 35 °C group, respectively. The results indicated the MCP was an important component of total energy cost for the lizard E. multiocellata and the MCP in this lizard incurs a relative fixed energetic cost irrespective of ambient temperature.
Prey competition between sympatric Steller sea lions (Eumetopias jubatus) and northern fur seals (Callorhinus ursinus) on Lovushki Island, Russia
Authors: Waite J.N. , Burkanov V.N. , Andrews R.D.
Published: January 2012

Approximately 1 000 Steller sea lions ( Eumetopias jubatus (Schreber, 1776); SSL) and 14 000 northern fur seals ( Callorhinus ursinus (L., 1758); NFS) breed sympatrically on Lovushki Island in the Russian Far East, creating the potential for interspecific competition for prey. An additional 13 000 – 14 000 juvenile NFS are present during the breeding season. The diets of breeding SSL and both breeding and juvenile NFS were examined through analysis of scats and spews collected during the breeding seasons of 2003, 2005, and 2007–2008. There were significant overlaps in the prey species and size selection of SSL and juvenile NFS. There were significant differences between the diets of SSL and breeding NFS. SSL and juvenile NFS fed primarily on Atka mackerel ( Pleurogrammus monopterygius (Pallas, 1810)), while breeding NFS fed on cephalopods, salmon (genus Oncorhynchus Suckley, 1861), Atka mackerel, and northern smoothtongue ( Leuroglossus schmidti Rass, 1955). The partitioning of resources between breeding animals has allowed both species to coexist within the same region and likely reflected differences in foraging abilities and provisioning strategies of the adults and the fasting abilities of their pups. However, continued growth of the NFS population may lead to the exclusion of SSL owing to interspecific competition for prey.
SUPPLIER PRODUCTIVITY AND QUALITY PERFORMANCE EVALUATION IN THE TFT-LCD INDUSTRY
Authors: LIANG YUN-CHIA , FANG NAN
Published: January 2012

Manufacturers of the TFT-LCD (Thin-Film Transistor Liquid-Crystal Display) panels in Taiwan face challenges from increasing competition and falling prices. Additionally, these manufacturers are heavily reliant on the reliability of their supply chains, making the choice of upstream suppliers a mission-critical issue in the industry. This study employs Operating Costs, Research and Development (R&D) Expenses, Net Fixed Assets, and Total Assets as input parameters to output Operating Revenue and Quality System Audit (QSA) Scores for the TFT-LCD industry in Taiwan. Traditional DEA models are used in the confirmation analyses, whereas the Grey System entropy weight method is applied to calculate the relative weights of the various parameters. The weighting results are included in the DEA as constraint weights to be substituted into the CCR-AR, SBM-AR, and Additive-AR models. The results are then compared to evaluate efficiency in terms of satisfying practical application needs. Finally, a case study based on a large TFT-LCD company in Taiwan is analyzed to provide insight into variations in Decision Making Units (DMUs) caused by the use of various models. The results are valuable in terms of optimizing the selection of an appropriate model to carry out future studies.
Nitric oxide inhibits the expression of AT1 receptors in neurons
Authors: Sharma Neeru M. , Zheng Hong , Li Yi-Fan , Patel Kaushik P.
Published: January 2012

We have previously observed an increased of angiotensin II (ANG II) type 1 receptor (AT1R) with enhanced AT1R-mediated sympathetic outflow and concomitant downregulation of neuronal nitric oxide (NO) synthase (nNOS) with reduced NO-mediated inhibition from the paraventricular nucleus (PVN) in rats with heart failure. To test the hypothesis that NO exerts an inhibitory effect on AT1R expression in the PVN, we used primary cultured hypothalamic cells of neonatal rats and neuronal cell line NG108-15 as in vitro models. In hypothalamic primary culture, NO donor sodium nitroprusside (SNP) induced dose-dependent decreases in mRNA and protein of AT1R (10−5 M SNP, AT1R protein was 10 ± 2% of control level) while NOS inhibitor NG-monomethyl-l-arginine (l-NMMA) induced dose-dependent increases in mRNA and protein levels of AT1R (10−5 M l-NMMA, AT1R protein was 148 ± 8% of control level). Similar effects of SNP and l-NMMA on AT1R expression were also observed in NG108-15 cell line (10−6 M SNP, AT1R protein was 30 ± 4% of control level while at the dose of 10−6 M l-NMMA, AT1R protein was 171 ± 15% of the control level). Specific inhibition of nNOS, using antisense, caused an increase in AT1R expression while overexpression of nNOS, using adenoviral gene transfer (Ad.nNOS), caused an inhibition of AT1R expression in NG108 cells. Antisense nNOS transfection augmented the increase while Ad.nNOS infection blunted the increase in intracellular calcium concentration in response to ANG II treatment in NG108 cells. In addition, downregulation of AT1R mRNA as well as protein level in neuronal cell line in response to S-nitroso- N-acetyl pencillamine (SNAP) treatment was blocked by protein kinase G (PKG) inhibitor, while the peroxynitrite scavenger deforxamine had no effect. These results suggest that NO acts as an inhibitory regulator of AT1R expression and the activation of PKG is the required step in the regulation of AT1R gene expression via cGMP-dependent signaling pathway.
miR-21 regulates chronic hypoxia-induced pulmonary vascular remodeling
Authors: Yang Shanzhong , Banerjee Sami , Freitas Andressa de , Cui Huachun , Xie Na , Abraham Edward , Liu Gang
Published: January 2012

Chronic hypoxia causes pulmonary vascular remodeling leading to pulmonary hypertension (PH) and right ventricle (RV) hypertrophy. Aberrant expression of microRNA (miRNA) is closely associated with a number of pathophysiologic processes. However, the role of miRNAs in chronic hypoxia-induced pulmonary vascular remodeling and PH has not been well characterized. In this study, we found increased expression of miR-21 in distal small arteries in the lungs of hypoxia-exposed mice. Putative miR-21 targets, including bone morphogenetic protein receptor (BMPR2), WWP1, SATB1, and YOD1, were downregulated in the lungs of hypoxia-exposed mice and in human pulmonary artery smooth muscle cells (PASMCs) overexpressing miR-21. We found that sequestration of miR-21, either before or after hypoxia exposure, diminished chronic hypoxia-induced PH and attenuated hypoxia-induced pulmonary vascular remodeling, likely through relieving the suppressed expression of miR-21 targets in the lungs of hypoxia-exposed mice. Overexpression of miR-21 enhanced, whereas downregulation of miR-21 diminished, the proliferation of human PASMCs in vitro and the expression of cell proliferation associated proteins, such as proliferating cell nuclear antigen, cyclin D1, and Bcl-xL. Our data suggest that miR-21 plays an important role in the pathogenesis of chronic hypoxia-induced pulmonary vascular remodeling and also suggest that miR-21 is a potential target for novel therapeutics to treat chronic hypoxia associated pulmonary diseases.
PKB/Akt partners with Dab2 in albumin endocytosis
Authors: Koral Kelly , Erkan Elif
Published: January 2012

Albumin in the glomerular filtrate is normally retrieved by concerted efforts of clathrin, LDL-type receptor megalin- and clathrin-associated sorting proteins. In glomerular diseases, albumin overload triggers a proapoptotic and inflammatory response contributing to tubulointerstitial fibrosis and tubular atrophy. The relationship between albumin overload-induced proximal tubule injury and albumin endocytosis remains to be discovered. We investigated presence of a possible overlap between endocytosis and cell survival. We showed a novel interaction between prosurvival protein, protein kinase B (PKB/Akt), and adaptor protein, disabled 2 (Dab2), with coimmunoprecipitation. Further delineation of this interaction by GST pull-down experiments utilizing different Dab2 constructs identified proline-rich domain as the interacting partner. Expression of Dab2 and PKB/Akt was downregulated at high concentrations of albumin associated with apoptosis. We then examined the physiological relevance of this interaction with functional studies. Overexpression of PKB/Akt increased albumin uptake in human proximal tubule cells. Conversely, inhibition of PKB/Akt with a nonselective Akt/PKB signaling inhibitor-2 and a dominant negative construct of PKB/Akt resulted in a decrease in albumin uptake. Inhibition of Dab2 by silencing RNA abolished PKB/Akt-induced albumin uptake demonstrating the physiological importance of this novel interaction. We concluded that PKB/Akt is part of an endocytic machinery and it mediates albumin uptake through its interaction with Dab2. The role that PKB/Akt plays in the endocytic cascade may dictate its decreased expression in proteinuric states in an attempt to limit albumin endocytosis that may tilt the balance between cell survival and apoptosis toward cell death.
Corticomuscular coherence with and without additional task in the elderly
Authors: Johnson Ashley N. , Shinohara Minoru
Published: January 2012

Aging and dual-task paradigms often degrade fine motor performance, but the effects of aging on correlated neural activity between motor cortex and contracting muscle are unknown during dual tasks requiring fine motor performance. The purpose of this study was to compare corticomuscular coherence between young and elderly adults during the performance of a unilateral fine motor task and concurrent motor and cognitive tasks. Twenty-nine healthy young (18–38 yr) and elderly (61–75 yr) adults performed unilateral motor, bilateral motor, concurrent motor-cognitive, and cognitive tasks. Peak corticomuscular coherence between the electroencephalogram from the primary motor cortex and surface electromyogram from the first dorsal interosseous muscle was compared during steady abduction of the index finger with visual feedback. In the alpha-band (8–14 Hz), corticomuscular coherence was greater in elderly than young adults especially during the motor-cognitive task. The beta-band (15–32 Hz) corticomuscular coherence was higher in elderly than young adults across unilateral motor and dual tasks. In addition, beta-band corticomuscular coherence in the motor-cognitive task was negatively correlated with motor output error across young but not elderly adults. The results suggest that 1) corticomuscular coherence was increased in senior age with a greater influence of an additional cognitive task in the alpha-band and 2) individuals with greater beta-band corticomuscular coherence may exhibit more accurate motor output in young, but not elderly adults, during steady contraction with visual feedback.