bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Clinical effects of sulphite additives
Authors: Vally H. , Misso N. L. A. , Madan V.
Published: September 2009

Sulphites are widely used as preservative and antioxidant additives in the food and pharmaceutical industries. Topical, oral or parenteral exposure to sulphites has been reported to induce a range of adverse clinical effects in sensitive individuals, ranging from dermatitis, urticaria, flushing, hypotension, abdominal pain and diarrhoea to life‐threatening anaphylactic and asthmatic reactions. Exposure to the sulphites arises mainly from the consumption of foods and drinks that contain these additives; however, exposure may also occur through the use of pharmaceutical products, as well as in occupational settings. While contact sensitivity to sulphite additives in topical medications is increasingly being recognized, skin reactions also occur after ingestion of or parenteral exposure to sulphites. Most studies report a 3–10% prevalence of sulphite sensitivity among asthmatic subjects following ingestion of these additives. However, the severity of these reactions varies, and steroid‐dependent asthmatics, those with marked airway hyperresponsiveness, and children with chronic asthma, appear to be at greater risk. In addition to episodic and acute symptoms, sulphites may also contribute to chronic skin and respiratory symptoms. To date, the mechanisms underlying sulphite sensitivity remain unclear, although a number of potential mechanisms have been proposed. Physicians should be aware of the range of clinical manifestations of sulphite sensitivity, as well as the potential sources of exposure. Minor modifications to diet or behaviour lead to excellent clinical outcomes for sulphite‐sensitive individuals.
Co‐variation of fish assemblages, flow regimes and other habitat factors in French rivers
Authors: SNELDER TON H. , LAMOUROUX NICOLAS
Published: September 2009

1. Using data from 270 minimally disturbed river sites distributed across France, we examined relationships between fish assemblages and four sets of explanatory variables representing climate, position in the river network, geomorphology and flow regime (temporal flow variation).

2. Flow regimes, represented by 157 hydrological indices, were derived from 763 gauging stations representing unmodified flows. Principal components analysis was used to reduce the 157 indices to nine non‐redundant hydrological variables, and hydrological regionalisation was then used to transfer the hydrological variables to the sampling sites.

3. Climate, position in the river network and geomorphology, collectively referred to as ‘habitat’ factors, and were represented by the variables mean January and July temperature, distance from source, mean flow and altitude and width, depth, slope, sediment size and % lotic habitat.

4. Partial constrained ordination (pCCA) showed that hydrological variables individually explained 9.7% of the variability of fish assemblages, however the variation explained by the hydrological variables decreased to only 3.4% when the variation explained by the habitat variables was removed.

5. Our study showed that co‐variation between hydrological and habitat variables need to be accounted for to avoid overestimating the importance of biological–hydrological relationships. Failing to do so may have important implications for the development of environmental flow prescriptions, as apparent biological responses to altered flow regimes are likely to be confounded by variation associated with habitat variability.
Economical impact of plasma fractionation project in Iran on affordability of plasma‐derived medicines
Authors: Cheraghali A. M. , Aboofazeli R.
Published: September 2009

summary.

In Iran all transfusion services are concentrated under authority of one public and centralized transfusion organization which has created the opportunity of using plasma produced in its blood centers for fractionation. In 2008 voluntary and non remunerated Iranian donors donated 1.8 million units of blood. This indicates a 25/1000 donation index. After responding to the needs for fresh plasma and cryoprecipitate each year about 150000 L of recovered plasma are reserved for fractionation. In an attempt to improve both blood safety profile and availability and affordability of plasma derived medicines, Iran's national transfusion service has entered into a contract fractionation agreement for surplus of plasma produced from donated blood by voluntary non remunerated donors. In order to ensure safety of product produced, Iran has chosen to collaborate with international fractionators based in highly regulated countries. The main objective of this study was to evaluate the impact of contract plasma fractionation on the affordability of the plasma derived medicines in Iran. During 2006–2008, Iran's contract fractionation project was able to produce 46%, 18% and 6% of IVIG, Albumin and FVIII consumed in Iran's market, respectively. In contrary to IVIG and Albumin, due to fairly high consumption of FVIII in Iran, the role of fractionation project in meeting the needs to FVIII was not substantial. However, Iran's experience has shown that contract plasma fractionation, through direct and indirect effects on price of plasma derived medicines, could substantially improve availability and affordability of such products in national health care system.
Assimilation and translocation of nitrogen and carbon in Curcuma alismatifolia Gagnep
Authors: Khuankaew T. , Ruamrungsri S. , Ito S. , Sato T. , Ohtake N. , Sueyoshi K. , Ohyama T.
Published: September 2009

Curcuma or Siam tulip (Curcuma alismatifolia Gagnep.) is an ornamental flowering plant with two underground storage organs, rhizomes and storage roots. Characteristics of N and C assimilation and transport in curcuma were investigated. The plants were treated with 15NH4+ + 15NO3− and 13CO2 at 10, 13 or 21 weeks after planting. Plants were sampled at several stages up to 32 weeks. The C stored in old storage roots was used rapidly during the first 10 weeks; after which N stored in old rhizomes and old storage roots were used. The daily gain in C depending on photosynthesis was remarkably high between 10 and 21 weeks. However, the daily gain in N was relatively constant throughout the growth period. The 15N absorbed at 10 weeks was initially accumulated in leaves and roots, but some was transported to flowering organs at 13 weeks. At harvest, 41% of 15N was recovered in new rhizomes and 17% in new storage roots. After 13CO2 exposure at 10 and 13 weeks, the distribution of 13C among organs was relatively constant in subsequent stages. When given 13CO2 at 21 weeks, a large amount of labelled C was recovered in new storage roots and new rhizomes at harvest. Both new rhizomes and new storage roots stored N and C, however, rhizomes played a more important role in supplying N, while storage roots provided C.
Power of a genome scan to detect and locate quantitative trait loci in cattle using dense single nucleotide polymorphisms
Authors: MacLeod I.M. , Hayes B.J. , Savin K.W. , Chamberlain A.J. , McPartlan H.C. , Goddard M.E.
Published: September 2009

There is increasing use of dense single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) for whole‐genome association studies (WGAS) in livestock to map and identify quantitative trait loci (QTL). These studies rely on linkage disequilibrium (LD) to detect an association between SNP genotypes and phenotypes. The power and precision of these WGAS are unknown, and will depend on the extent of LD in the experimental population. One complication for WGAS in livestock populations is that they typically consist of many paternal half‐sib families, and in some cases full‐sib families; unless this subtle population stratification is accounted for, many spurious associations may be reported. Our aim was to investigate the power, precision and false discovery rates of WGAS for QTL discovery, with a commercial SNP array, given existing patterns of LD in cattle. We also tested the efficiency of selective genotyping animals. A total of 365 cattle were genotyped for 9232 SNPs. We simulated a QTL effect as well as polygenic and environmental effects for all animals. One QTL was simulated on a randomly chosen SNP and accounted for 5%, 10% or 18% of the total variance. The power to detect a moderate‐sized additive QTL (5% of the phenotypic variance) with 365 animals genotyped was 37% (p < 0.001). Most importantly, if pedigree structure was not accounted for, the number of false positives significantly increased above those expected by chance alone. Selective genotyping also resulted in a significant increase in false positives, even when pedigree structure was accounted for.
A multi‐scale approach to condense the cyclic elastic‐plastic behaviour of the crack tip region into an extended constitutive model
Authors: POMMIER S. , LOPEZ‐CRESPO P. , DECREUSE P. Y.
Published: September 2009

The general idea of this paper is to model the mixed‐mode cyclic elastic‐plastic behaviour of the crack tip region at the global scale. It should be helpful, for instance, for predicting the effect of mixed mode overloads in fatigue. It is aimed at establishing a model reasonably precise (compared with elastic‐plastic finite element (FE) computations) but condensed into a set of partial derivative equations so as to avoid huge elastic‐plastic FE computations in the future. For this purpose, the kinematics of the crack tip region is characterized by a set of condensed variables. This is classical in linear elastic fracture mechanics (LEFM), the displacement field is approached by the product of spatial reference fields ( and ) and nominal stress intensity factors (K∞I and K∞II). Therefore, in LEFM, two condensed variables only, K∞I and K∞II, fully define the kinematics in the crack tip region. So as to generalize this approach to mixed mode cyclic elastic‐plastic conditions, we define first the intensity factors ( and ) of the elastic spatial reference fields ( and ) and we introduce two additional spatial reference fields ( and ) and their intensity factors ( and ) to account for plastic deformation within the crack tip region. Such an approximation is shown to be reasonably precise using FE computations. Therefore, the velocity field in the crack tip region is fully defined by only four condensed variables ( and ). Using the multi‐scale approach proposed herein, evolutions of ρI and ρII for various mixed‐mode loading conditions defined by K∞I and K∞II were generated using the finite‐element method (FEM). Then, it was shown that we can model these evolutions at the global scale through a yield locus, a flow rule and a kinematics hardening rule. It is also suggested how this model could be employed for predicting the effects of mixed mode plasticity on fatigue crack growth.
The evolution of intermediate castration virulence and ant coexistence in a spatially structured environment
Authors: Szilágyi András , Scheuring István , Edwards David P. , Orivel Jerome , Yu Douglas W.
Published: September 2009

Ecology Letters (2009) 12: 1306–1316

Theory suggests that spatial structuring should select for intermediate levels of virulence in parasites, but empirical tests are rare and have never been conducted with castration (sterilizing) parasites. To test this theory in a natural landscape, we construct a spatially explicit model of the symbiosis between the ant‐plant Cordia nodosa and its two, protecting ant symbionts, Allomerus and Azteca. Allomerus is also a castration parasite, preventing fruiting to increase colony fecundity. Limiting the dispersal of Allomerus and host plant selects for intermediate castration virulence. Increasing the frequency of the mutualist, Azteca, selects for higher castration virulence in Allomerus, because seeds from Azteca‐inhabited plants are a public good that Allomerus exploits. These results are consistent with field observations and, to our knowledge, provide the first empirical evidence supporting the hypothesis that spatial structure can reduce castration virulence and the first such evidence in a natural landscape for either mortality or castration virulence.
Intelligence in relation to obesity: a systematic review and meta‐analysis
Authors: Yu Z. B. , Han S. P. , Cao X. G. , Guo X. R.
Published: September 2009

We performed a systematic review describing obesity/intelligent quotient (IQ) association, particularly childhood IQ in relation to adulthood obesity. After screening 883 citations from five electronic databases, we included 26 studies, most of medium quality. The weighted mean difference (WMD) of the full IQ (FIQ)/obesity association in the pre‐school children was −15.1 (P > 0.05). Compared with controls, the WMD of FIQ and performance IQ of obese children were −2.8 and −10.0, respectively (P < 0.05), and the WMD of verbal IQ was −7.01 (P > 0.05). With increasing obesity, the FIQ in pre‐school children declined, with a significant difference for severely obese children and FIQ. In pubertal children, a slightly different effect of FIQ and obesity emerged. Two studies reported an inverse FIQ/obesity association in adults, but it was non‐significant after adjusting for educational attainment. Four papers found that childhood FIQ was inversely associated with adult body mass index, but after adjusting for education, became null. Overall there was an inverse FIQ/obesity association, except in pre‐school children. However, after adjusting for educational attainment, FIQ/obesity association was not significantly different. A lower FIQ in childhood was associated with obesity in later adulthood perhaps with educational level mediating the persistence of obesity in later life.
g‐BRDFs: An Intuitive and Editable BTF Representation
Authors: Menzel N. , Guthe M.
Published: September 2009

Measured reflection data such as the bidirectional texture function (BTF) represent spatial variation under the full hemisphere of view and light directions and offer a very realistic visual appearance. Despite its high‐dimensional nature, recent compression techniques allow rendering of BTFs in real time. Nevertheless, a still unsolved problem is that there is no representation suited for real‐time rendering that can be used by designers to modify the BTF's appearance. For intuitive editing, a set of low‐dimensional comprehensible parameters, stored as scalars, colour values or texture maps, is required. In this paper we present a novel way to represent BTF data by introducing the geometric BRDF (g‐BRDF), which describes both the underlying meso‐ and micro‐scale structure in a very compact way. Both are stored in texture maps with only a few additional scalar parameters that can all be modified at runtime and thus give the designer full control over the material's appearance in the final real‐time application. The g‐BRDF does not only allow intuitive editing, but also reduces the measured data into a small set of textures, yielding a very effective compression method. In contrast to common material representation combining heightfields and BRDFs, our g‐BRDF is physically based and derived from direct measurement, thus representing real‐world surface appearance. In addition, we propose an algorithm for fully automatic decomposition of a given measured BTF into the g‐BRDF representation.
Educators and Armaments in Cold War America
Authors: DeBenedetti Charles L.
Published: September 2009

This essay was written prior to the end of the Cold War. It may very well be the last scholarly essay that peace movement historian Charles DeBenedetti wrote prior to his death. Charles sent it to me in 1984, and for many years it was kept in one of my files. It is a historical commentary about the nuclear arms race based upon a thorough reading of education journals. The purpose of this article is to demonstrate that in the very early years of the Cold War educators paid particular attention to the militarization of society and the construction of weapons of mass destruction. What is most telling is that from 1945 to the early 1950s concerned teachers voiced their worries regarding a race between catastrophe and education. However, by 1953, educators had dropped out of the race, falling victim to McCarthyism and the national government’s concern for civil defense. This scholarly article points out that educators had a responsibility to teach the public about the horrors of nuclear armaments as an overwhelming threat and danger to humankind, but failed to do so as prosperity and government pressure silenced their voices. By the time of Sputnik in 1957, DeBenedetti tells us, they considered “nuclear weaponry as the very symbol of the uncharted ocean that separated advancing scientific and technological revolutions from the hoary human politics that made for an intractable Cold War.” How can educators today rekindle that awareness and replace complacency with determination? What historical lessons can peace educators today learn from DeBenedetti’s research on peace educators of the Cold War period?
A Select Bibliography for Peace Education
Authors: Harris Ian
Published: September 2009

Peace education is an umbrella term for education about problems of violence and strategies for peace. This bibliography provides references for books about the following aspects of peace education: nonviolence, peace, peace education, historical aspects of peace advocates, peace organizations, peace movements, and war and violence. The bibliography omits, e.g., multicultural education, international education/global studies, and human rights education.
Political Leadership and Bureaucratic Autonomy: Effects of Agencification
Authors: EGEBERG MORTEN , TRONDAL JARLE
Published: September 2009

Previous studies have shown that agencification tends to reduce political control within a government portfolio. However, doubts have been raised as regards to the robustness of these findings. In this article we document that agency officials pay significantly less attention to signals from executive politicians than their counterparts within ministerial (cabinet‐level) departments. This finding holds when we control for variation in tasks, the political salience of issue areas, and officials' rank. Simultaneously we observe that the three control variables all have an independent effect on officials' attentiveness to a steer from above. In addition we find that the more organizational capacity available within the respective ministerial departments, the more agency personnel tend to assign weight to signals from the political leadership. We apply large‐N questionnaire data at three points in time, spanning two decades and shifting administrative doctrines.
A Dirty, Indolent, Priest‐Ridden City: British Soldiers in Lisbon during the Peninsular War, 1808–1813
Authors: DALY GAVIN
Published: September 2009

Between 1808 and 1813 Lisbon was the gateway for British soldiers entering the Peninsular War. For many British soldiers the Iberian Peninsula was not only their first combat experience but also their first time abroad, with their military service as part of a broader experience of travel and cross‐cultural contact. British letters, diaries and memoirs of the Peninsular War have long been used by historians as the basis for military and campaign histories; rarely have they been appreciated as travel and ethnographic accounts, allowing us to explore how British soldiers described, experienced and understood the foreign physical and cultural environments of Portugal and Spain. This article investigates British soldiers' attitudes to Lisbon and its inhabitants. Their writings illuminate the relationship between war, travel and identity; British views on Portugal and the Iberian Peninsula more generally; and the mentalities and cultural values of a broad cohort of young Britons in the early nineteenth century. Most soldiers wrote largely critical and hostile accounts of their time in Lisbon, identifying markers of cultural difference and in so doing revealing their own notions of what it meant to British and civilized.
Studying global change through investigation of the plastic responses of xylem anatomy in tree rings
Authors: Fonti Patrick , von Arx Georg , García‐González Ignacio , Eilmann Britta , Sass‐Klaassen Ute , Gärtner Holger , Eckstein Dieter
Published: September 2009

Variability in xylem anatomy is of interest to plant scientists because of the role water transport plays in plant performance and survival. Insights into plant adjustments to changing environmental conditions have mainly been obtained through structural and functional comparative studies between taxa or within taxa on contrasting sites or along environmental gradients. Yet, a gap exists regarding the study of hydraulic adjustments in response to environmental changes over the lifetimes of plants. In trees, dated tree‐ring series are often exploited to reconstruct dynamics in ecological conditions, and recent work in which wood‐anatomical variables have been used in dendrochronology has produced promising results. Environmental signals identified in water‐conducting cells carry novel information reflecting changes in regional conditions and are mostly related to short, sub‐annual intervals. Although the idea of investigating environmental signals through wood anatomical time series goes back to the 1960s, it is only recently that low‐cost computerized image‐analysis systems have enabled increased scientific output in this field. We believe that the study of tree‐ring anatomy is emerging as a promising approach in tree biology and climate change research, particularly if complemented by physiological and ecological studies. This contribution presents the rationale, the potential, and the methodological challenges of this innovative approach.
Role of M2, M3, and M4muscarinic receptor subtypes in the spinal cholinergic control of nociception revealed using siRNA in rats
Authors: Cai You‐Qing , Chen Shao‐Rui , Han Hee‐Dong , Sood Anil K. , Lopez‐Berestein Gabriel , Pan Hui‐Lin
Published: September 2009

Muscarinic acetylcholine receptors (mAChRs) are involved in the control of nociception in the spinal cord. The M2, M3, and M4mAChR subtypes are present in the spinal dorsal horn. However, the role of the individual subtypes in the anti‐nociceptive effect produced by mAChR agonists is uncertain. Here, we determined the contribution of M2, M3, and M4subtypes to spinal muscarinic analgesia by using small‐interference RNA (siRNA) targeting specific mAChR subtypes in rats. The neuronal uptake and distribution of a chitosan‐siRNA conjugated fluorescent dye in the spinal cord and dorsal root ganglion were confirmed after intrathecal injection. The control and gene‐specific siRNA‐chitosan complexes were injected intrathecally for three consecutive days. Quantitative reverse‐transcription polymerase chain reaction analysis showed that treatment with siRNA targeting M2, M3, or M4subtype produced a large reduction in the corresponding mRNA levels in the dorsal root ganglion and dorsal spinal cord. Also, the protein levels of the mAChR subtypes in the spinal cord were significantly down‐regulated by siRNA treatment, as determined by the immunoprecipitation and receptor‐binding assay. Treatment with the M2‐siRNA caused a large reduction in the inhibitory effect of muscarine on the nociceptive withdrawal threshold. Furthermore, M4knockdown at the spinal level significantly reduced the anti‐nociceptive effect of muscarine. However, the anti‐nociceptive effect of muscarine was not significantly changed by the M3‐specific siRNA. Our study suggests that chitosan nanoparticles can be used for efficient delivery of siRNA into the neuronal tissuesin vivo. Our findings also provide important functional evidence that M2and M4, but not M3, contribute to nociceptive regulation by mAChRs at the spinal level.
Undergraduate socialization in medical education: ideals of professional physicians’ practice
Authors: Lindberg Ola
Published: September 2009

A study of professional socialization in a medical education programme in Sweden is presented. The aim of the study was to explore ideals held within the educational practice concerning what constitutes an effective professional practitioner. Sixteen respondents from educational practice, eight teachers and eight students, were interviewed regarding their views on what constitutes ‘the ideal physician’, i.e. the desirable end product of medical education. Their responses were classified into six virtues: wisdom, discipline, humility, empathy, maturity and strength, each with corresponding vices. These virtues and vices reflect a desired direction for professional socialization during medical training and the professional performance of physicians. They also provide useful indicators of what has been described as medicine’s hidden curriculum. Implications for curriculum planning and the organization of learning in medical education are discussed.
The Influence of Targeted Education on Medication Persistence and Generic Substitution among Consumer‐Directed Health Care Enrollees
Authors: Sedjo Rebecca L. , Cox Emily R.
Published: September 2009

Objective. To evaluate an educational outreach among consumer‐directed health plan (CDHP) enrollees on medication persistence and lower‐cost generic substitution within four chronic medication therapies.

Study Setting. A cross‐sectional analysis using pharmacy claims data from a national employer group that began offering a CDHP in 2006 and implemented an educational outreach to some CDHP enrollees in 2007 was used.

Methods. The intervention group was comprised of CDHP enrollees who received education outreach and was compared with CDHP enrollees without the educational outreach. Adjusted and unadjusted medication persistence and lower‐cost generic substitutions were compared between groups.

Principal Findings. There was no difference in medication persistence between groups. CDHP enrollees with the educational outreach were more likely to have converted to lower‐cost generic alternative antihypertensive medication compared with CDHP enrollees without the educational outreach (ORadj=29.82, 95 percent CI=4.41–201.93).

Conclusion. Educational outreach directed to CDHP enrollees was associated with increases in lower‐cost generic alternatives with no change in patients' chronic medication use. However, considerable opportunity exists to assist CDHP enrollees in making sound health care decisions.
The Health Services Researcher of 2020: A Summit to Assess the Field's Workforce Needs
Authors: Pittman Patricia , Holve Erin
Published: September 2009

Objective. To summarize the current state of the health services research (HSR) workforce and recommend ways to improve the field's ability to respond to future challenges facing the health system.

Data. Summaries of workgroup discussions and recommendations at a stakeholder meeting.

Study Design. In late 2007, 50 educators, students, employers, and funders of HSR participated in a meeting to discuss findings of three commissioned papers on the HSR workforce. The group undertook a consultative process to develop recommendations for the field.

Principal Findings. Stakeholders developed recommendations in five major areas focused on HSR workforce needs: (1) improving the size and composition of the field; (2) understanding the growth of HSR in the private sector; (3) improving the graduate training of health services researchers, especially at the master's level; (4) expanding postgraduate training and continuing education opportunities; and (5) increasing awareness of the value of HSR.

Conclusions. Specific recommendations in the five major areas emphasized developing partnerships between HSR organizations and other professional societies or health organizations, as well as ways to improve training for the future workforce. The need to develop a “client orientation” toward research by improving communication and dissemination skills was discussed, as was the importance of improving diversity in the field.
The Health Services Research Workforce: Current Stock
Authors: McGinnis Sandra , Moore Jean
Published: September 2009

Objective. To examine the size and characteristics of the health services research (HSR) workforce; the job satisfaction, job security, and future plans reported by the workforce; and the future of the HSR workforce supply.

Data Sources. (1) AcademyHealth active and lapsed members since 2000 and annual research meeting presenters and interest group participants; (2) principal investigators of research projects listed in the HSRProj database; and (3) authors of articles published in two HSR journals.

Study Design. Data on investigators conducting HSR in selected venues were collected and compared in order to identify the percentage of the HSR workforce represented in the “core” versus related disciplines and to investigate the extent to which the “core” researchers publish, present, or participate in disciplinary venues.

Principal Findings. The field appears to have grown dramatically since 1995, from an estimated 5,000 health services researchers to an estimated 11,596 in 2007. This is a broad workforce characterized by various levels of involvement in the field. Some researchers self‐identify with the field of HSR, while others are associated primarily with venues related to specific disciplines. Many researchers who identify with HSR also publish in venues related to multiple other disciplines.

Conclusions. The field may face future challenges related to demographic change, such as an aging workforce and an increased need for diversity. International collaboration appears common, and in the future the field may need to be defined internationally rather than nationally. At the same time, there are also many indications that HSR is a good field to work in. Health services researchers reported high levels of satisfaction with their profession and current employer, as well as little desire to change jobs and little concern about job security.
The tetralogy of Fallot‐associated G274D mutation impairs folding of the second epidermal growth factor repeat in Jagged‐1
Authors: Guarnaccia Corrado , Dhir Somdutta , Pintar Alessandro , Pongor Sándor
Published: September 2009

Notch signaling controls spatial patterning and cell‐fate decisions in all metazoans. Mutations in JAG1, one of the five Notch ligands in man, have been associated with Alagille syndrome and with a familial form of tetralogy of Fallot. A specific G274D mutation in the second epidermal growth factor repeat of the Jagged‐1 was found to correlate with tetralogy of Fallot symptoms but not with usual Alagille syndrome phenotypes. To investigate the effects of this mutation, we studied the in vitro oxidative folding of the wild‐type and mutant peptides encompassing the second epidermal growth factor. We found that the G274D mutation strongly impairs the correct folding of the epidermal growth factor module, and folding cannot be rescued by compensative mutations. The 274 position displays very low tolerance to substitution because neither the G274S nor the G274A mutants could be refolded in vitro. A sequence comparison of epidermal growth factor repeats found in human proteins revealed that the pattern displayed by the second epidermal growth factor is exclusively found in Notch ligands and that G274 is absolutely conserved within this group. We carried out a systematic and comprehensive analysis of mutations found in epidermal growth factor repeats and show that specific residue requirements for folding, structural integrity and correct post‐translational processing may provide a rationale for most of the disease‐associated mutations.
Membrane type‐1 matrix metalloprotease‐independent activation of pro‐matrix metalloprotease‐2 by proprotein convertases
Authors: Koo Bon‐Hun , Kim Hee‐Hyun , Park Michael Y. , Jeon Ok‐Hee , Kim Doo‐Sik
Published: September 2009

Matrix metalloprotease‐2 is implicated in many biological processes and degrades extracellular and non‐extracellular matrix molecules. Matrix metalloprotease‐2 maintains a latent state through a cysteine–zinc ion pairing which, when disrupted, results in full enzyme activation. This pairing can be disrupted by a conformational change or cleavage within the propeptide. The best known activation mechanism for pro‐matrix metalloprotease‐2 occurs via cleavage of the propeptide by membrane type‐1 matrix metalloprotease. However, significant residual activation of pro‐matrix metalloprotease‐2 is seen in membrane type‐1 matrix metalloprotease knockout mice and in fibroblasts treated with metalloprotease inhibitors. These findings indicate the presence of a membrane type‐1 matrix metalloprotease‐independent activation mechanism for pro‐matrix metalloprotease‐2 in vivo, which prompted us to explore an alternative activation mechanism for pro‐matrix metalloprotese‐2. In this study, we demonstrate membrane type‐1 matrix metalloprotease‐independent propeptide processing of matrix metalloprotease‐2 in HEK293F and various tumor cell lines, and show that proprotein convertases can mediate the processing intracellularly as well as extracellularly. Furthermore, processed matrix metalloprotease‐2 exhibits enzymatic activity that is enhanced by intermolecular autolytic cleavage. Thus, our experimental data, taken together with the broad expression of proprotein convertases, suggest that the proprotein convertase‐mediated processing may be a general activation mechanism for pro‐matrix metalloprotease‐2 in vivo.
Endogenous Hydrogen Peroxide Plays a Positive Role in the Upregulation of Heme Oxygenase and Acclimation to Oxidative Stress in Wheat Seedling Leaves
Authors: Chen Xiao‐Yue , Ding Xiao , Xu Sheng , Wang Ren , Xuan Wei , Cao Ze‐Yu , Chen Jian , Wu Hong‐Hong , Ye Mao‐Bing , Shen Wen‐Biao
Published: September 2009

Pretreatment of lower H2O2 doses (0.05, 0.5 and 5 mM) for 24 h was able to dose‐dependently attenuate lipid peroxidation in wheat seedling leaves mediated by further oxidative damage elicited by higher dose of H2O2 (150 mM) for 6 h, with 0.5 mM H2O2 being the most effective concentrations. Further results illustrated that 0.5 mM H2O2 pretreatment triggered the biphasic production of H2O2 during a 24 h period. We also noticed that only peak I (0.25 h) rather than peak II (4 h) was approximately consistent with the enhancement of heme oxygenase (HO) activity, HO‐1 gene expression. Meanwhile, enhanced superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity, Mn‐SOD and Cu,Zn‐SOD transcripts might be a potential source of peak I of endogenous H2O2. Further results confirmed that 0.5 mM H2O2 treatment for 0.5 h was able to upregulate HO gene expression, which was detected by enzyme activity determination, semi‐quantitative reverse transcription‐polymerase chain reaction and western blotting. Meanwhile, the application of N,N’‐dimethylthiourea, a trap for endogenous H2O2, not only blocked the upregulation of HO, but also reversed the corresponding oxidation attenuation. Together, the above results suggest that endogenous H2O2 production (peak I) plays a positive role in the induction of HO by enhancing its mRNA level and protein expression, thus leading to the acclimation to oxidative stress.
INFLUENCE OF SUPERCRITICAL CARBON DIOXIDE AND METHANOLIC EXTRACTS OF ROSEMARY ON OXIDATION AND SENSORY PROPERTIES OF WHEAT GERM OIL
Authors: YESIL‐CELIKTAS OZLEM , ISLETEN MUGE , KARAGUL‐YUCEER YONCA , BEDIR ERDAL , VARDAR‐SUKAN FAZILET
Published: September 2009

Both supercritical CO2and methanolic extracts from the leaves of rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis) harvested from three different locations of Turkey at four different times of the year were added at a concentration of 100 mg/kg to wheat germ oil. Wheat germ oil samples were stored in an incubator for 10 days at 50C in order to promote oxidation and for the efficacy of the extracts for stabilization purposes to be examined. Degree of oxidation was determined by peroxide andp‐anisidine values, which were performed every 2 days. Extracts from Mersin and Canakkale regions performed better results. Additionally, June and September harvests had lower peroxide values. According to the descriptive sensory analysis, both locations and extraction methods were found to effect flavor. Some flavor attributes, such as wheatlike/starchy, fishy and rubbery/metallic changed during storage regardless of locations and extraction methods. Supercritical CO2extracts performed better results in terms of both oxidation and sensory properties.

PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS

From the perspective of the food industry, wheat germ oil stabilized with a natural antioxidant such as rosemary can be marketed as a functional product that can create a niche. Rosemary extracts containing higher amounts of rosmarinic acid and carnosic acid should be preferred in order to provide a better shelf life of an edible oil such as wheat germ oil.
SHALLOW‐MARINE MICROPOROUS CARBONATE RESERVOIR ROCKS IN THE MIDDLE EAST: RELATIONSHIP WITH SEAWATER Mg/Ca RATIO AND EUSTATIC SEA LEVEL
Authors: Volery C. , Davaud E. , Foubert A. , Caline B.
Published: September 2009

The formation of shallow‐marine microporous carbonate reservoir rocks remains poorly understood in spite of their economic importance, particularly in the Middle East. In this paper, we investigate relationships between the stratigraphic occurrence of these carbonates in the Middle East and (i) the evolution of the Mg/Ca ratio in seawater; and (ii) cyclic variations in relative sea‐level.

An inventory of carbonate formations in the Middle East was compiled for three geological time intervals characterised by different seawater chemistries: the Late Carboniferous to Triassic (aragonite seas); the Cretaceous (calcite seas); and the Cenozoic (transitional from calcite to aragonite seas). For each time interval, carbonate formations described as microporous have been listed.

During the Cretaceous calcite sea, eleven microporous carbonate formations were deposited in the Middle East. However, no microporous carbonates were formed during the Late Carboniferous to Triassic, a time of aragonite seas. During the Cenozoic, four of the five microporous carbonate formations recorded were deposited before the transition from calcite to aragonite seas. Thus, these shallow‐marine microporous carbonates appear to have developed from precursor muds which were mainly composed of low‐Mg calcite crystals. Moreover, during the Cretaceous and the Cenozoic, microporous carbonate formations in the Middle East were generally associated with major transgressions and highstands of relative sea level.

The relatively high stability of low‐Mg calcite muds may explain why shallow‐marine microporous carbonates formed during time intervals with calcite seas. In contrast to muds composed of aragonite or high‐Mg calcite crystals, the original microfabric (including intercrystalline microporosity) of low‐Mg calcite muds can partly survive moderate diagenesis.
Implementing Patient Safety Initiatives in Rural Hospitals
Authors: Klingner Jill , Moscovice Ira , Tupper Judith , Coburn Andrew , Wakefield Mary
Published: September 2009

ABSTRACT:  Implementation of patient safety initiatives can be costly in time and energy. Because of small volumes and limited resources, rural hospitals often are not included in nationally driven patient safety initiatives. This article describes the Tennessee Rural Hospital Patient Safety Demonstration project, whose goal was to strengthen capacity for patient safety initiatives in 8 small Tennessee rural hospitals using a multi‐organizational collaborative model. The demonstration identified and facilitated implementation of 3 patient safety interventions: the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) patient safety culture survey, use of personal digital assistants (PDAs), and sharing of emergency room protocols. The experience suggested that a collaborative model between rural hospitals, a payer, a hospital association, a quality improvement organization, and academic institutions can effectively support patient safety activities in rural hospitals. Successful implementation of the 3 patient safety interventions depended on leadership provided by nursing and patient safety/quality managers and open, trusting communications within the hospitals.
Resilience in Rural Community‐Dwelling Older Adults
Authors: Wells Margaret
Published: September 2009

ABSTRACT: Context:Identifying ways to meet the health care needs of older adults is important because their numbers are increasing and they often have more health care issues. High resilience level may be one factor that helps older adults adjust to the hardships associated with aging. Rural community‐dwelling older adults often face unique challenges such as limited access to health care resources.Purpose:To determine the resilience level of rural community‐dwelling older adults and to determine if socio‐demographic factors, social networks, and health status are associated with resilience.Methods:Data were collected from 106 registered voters, aged 65 years or over from a rural area in New York State using a cross‐ sectional design. The instruments used in the study include the Resiliency Scale, the SF‐12v2, and the Lubben Social Network Scale‐Revised.Findings:The mean resilience level of the sample was high. Resilience was not correlated with any of the socio‐demographic factors which included gender, age, income, education, marital, and employment status. There was a weak positive correlation between social networks and resilience levels of rural older adults. Both physical and mental health status were positively correlated with resilience. In a regression model, mental health status was the strongest predictor of resilience levels.Conclusion:If low resilience levels are identified in rural community‐dwelling older adults, interventions to build resilience may be helpful in promoting independence; however, further research is needed to determine this.
A firm's external environment and the hiring of a non‐standard workforce: implications for organisations
Authors: Ghosh Dipankar , Willinger G. Lee , Ghosh Sucharita
Published: September 2009

This article empirically investigates organisations' strategic decision to hire non‐standard employees. Using US firm‐level data and a matched pair design, the study shows that firms operating in a more competitive environment and a less uncertain environment have a higher proportion of non‐standard workers. Further, firms with a greater proportion of non‐standard workers show higher financial growth. And finally, in a highly competitive environment, those firms that hire more non‐standard workers achieve significantly higher financial growth. Similar growth is experienced by those firms in the low uncertainty environment hiring more non‐standard workers. These results are all consistent with the research hypotheses.
Evidence of System Justification in Young Children
Authors: Baron Andrew , Banaji Mahzarin
Published: September 2009

The near ubiquity of ingroup preference is consistent with the view that it is an automatic consequence of social categorization, possibly a basic foundation of intergroup relations. However, research with adults has demonstrated that automatic ingroup preference is notably absent among less dominant, less advantaged groups, an outcome predicted by System Justification Theory (Jost & Banaji, 1994). How basic is this tendency to justify existing social arrangements? Data from young children are crucial in addressing whether such an opposing orientation is itself a fundamental feature of intergroup social cognition. The developmental data summarized here suggest that knowledge about the relative status of one’s ingroup is absorbed and internalized sufficiently early in life, revealing system‐justifying tendencies by age 5, the earliest age such questions have been examined to date. Across several studies summarized here young children from non‐dominant groups failed to show an implicit ingroup preference, similar to their adult counterparts. We conclude that from an early age intergroup preferences are constrained by knowledge, implicit or explicit, about the relative status differences among groups and may suggest an orientation toward supporting existing social and political structures. The possibility that system‐justifying tendencies may exist in even younger children remains open for future tests.
Organisational justice and markers of inflammation: the Whitehall II study
Authors: Elovainio Marko , Ferrie Jane E , Singh-Manoux Archana , Gimeno David , De Vogli Roberto , Shipley Martin , Vahtera Jussi , Brunner Eric , Marmot Michael G , Kivimäki Mika
Published: September 2009

Objectives

Low organisational justice has been shown to be associated with increased risk of various health problems, but the underlying mechanisms remain unclear. We tested whether organisational injustice contributes to chronic inflammation in a population of middle-aged men and women.

Methods

This prospective cohort study uses data from 3205 men and 1204 women aged 35–55 years at entry into the Whitehall II study (phase 1, 1985–1988). Organisational justice perceptions were assessed at phase 1 and phase 2 (1989–1990) and circulating inflammatory markers C-reactive protein (CRP) and interleukin (IL)-6 at phase 3 (1991–1993) and phase 7 (2003–2004).

Results

In men, low organisational justice was associated with increased CRP levels at both follow-ups (phase 3 and 7) and increased IL-6 at the second follow-up (phase 7). The long term (phase 7) associations were largely independent of covariates, such as age, employment grade, body mass index and depressive symptoms. In women, no relationship was found between organisational justice and CRP or IL-6.

Conclusions

This study suggests that organisational injustice is associated with increased long-term levels of inflammatory markers among men.
Smoking habits and occupational disability: a cohort study of 14 483 construction workers
Authors: Claessen Heiner , Arndt Volker , Drath Christoph , Brenner Hermann
Published: September 2009

Objectives

Although smoking causes a variety of diseases and both, a high smoking prevalence and permanent occupational disability are a great burden on the population level, data about the impact of smoking habits on occupational disability are sparse. The objective of this study was to examine the influence of smoking habits on occupational disability among construction workers, an occupational group with particularly high smoking prevalence.

Methods

The association between smoking and occupational disability was examined during a mean follow-up of 10.8 years in a cohort of 14 483 male construction workers in Württemberg, Germany. The cohort was linked to the regional pension register of the German pension fund to identify workers who were granted a disability pension during the follow-up. HRs (Hazard Ratios) were calculated with non-smokers as reference by the Cox proportional hazards model adjusting for potential confounding factors such as age, nationality, type of occupation, alcohol consumption and body mass index.

Results

Overall, 2643 cases of occupational disability were observed, with dorsopathy (21%) being the most common cause. Clear dose-response relationships were seen between smoking and occupational disability due to all causes, as well as occupational disability due to respiratory, cardiovascular and mental diseases, cancer and dorsopathy. Particularly strong associations were seen between heavy smoking (≥20 cigarettes/day) and occupational disability due to mental and respiratory diseases (HR 3.25, 95% CI 1.93 to 5.46 and HR 3.26, 95% CI 1.69 to 6.27, respectively).

Conclusion

Smoking is associated with increased risk of occupational disability among construction workers, in particular occupational disability due to respiratory, cardiovascular and mental diseases, cancer and dorsopathy.