bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Augmented telomerase activity and reduced telomere length in parthenium‐induced contact dermatitis
Authors: Akhtar N. , Anand V. , Verma K.K. , Sharma A. 
Published: September 2012

AbstractBackground  Parthenium dermatitis is a common chronic inflammatory disease with activated T lymphocytes that recognize the antigens, which leads to proliferation and differentiation. Telomeres and telomerase play an important role in the regulation of life span of the cell. Telomere length maintained by telomerase, are specialized repeats present at the end of chromosomes which protect it from degradation, end‐to‐end fusion and are important for integrity of chromosomes.Objectives  The aim of this study was to measure telomerase activity and telomere length in Peripheral blood mononuclear cell (PBMC), CD4+ and CD8+ T lymphocytes from parthenium dermatitis patients.Methods  The study includes 50 patients of parthenium dermatitis confirmed by patch testing and 50 healthy controls. Telomerase activity was measured using the telomere repeat amplification protocol using PCR–ELISA kit. Telomere length was measured by using Telo TAGGG Telomere Length Assay Kit.Results  Significantly elevated levels of telomerase activity was observed in PBMC, CD4+ and CD8+ T cells of parthenium dermatitis patients as compared with healthy controls. However, significantly reduced telomere length in PBMC, CD4+ and CD8+ T cells have been found in patients than healthy subjects, but there was no difference between CD4+ and CD8+ T cells in patients.Conclusion  This study might have provided insight into the role of telomerase in parthenium dermatitis that is characterized by the recruitment of T lymphocytes, which play an important role in this inflammatory disease. The augmented telomerase activity and reduced terminal restriction fragment length might be explored as a potential diagnostic/prognostic marker for parthenium dermatitis in future.
Identities in the third space? Solidity, elasticity and resilience amongst young British Pakistani Muslims
Authors: Mythen Gabe 
Published: September 2012

AbstractOver the last decade the issue of identity has been prevalent in discussions about British Muslims, with the events of 9/11 serving as a touchstone for media debates about religious, national and cultural affiliations. The 7/7 terrorist attacks in the UK led to young British Pakistanis being subjected to intense public and institutional scrutiny and wider political concerns being expressed about the failure of multiculturalism. Young British Pakistanis have thus had to negotiate and maintain their identities in an environment in which they have been defined as a threat to national security whilst simultaneously being pressurized to align with ‘core British values’. Within this context, we convey the findings of a qualitative study involving British Pakistanis living in the North‐west of England. In presenting the experiences and perspectives of participants, three interconnected processes salient to the maintenance of identity are delineated: solidity, elasticity and resilience. Having unpacked these processes, we draw upon Bhabha's third space thesis to explore the political potentiality of and the limits to hybridic identities.
On natural‐social commodities. The form and value of things
Authors: Halewood Michael 
Published: September 2012

AbstractThis article re‐reads Marx's account of the commodity as a socio–natural entity. In doing so, it re‐evaluates the status of the political (as opposed to questions of political economy) in Marx's analysis and also reads his argument in light of Actor‐Network‐Theory's call for the thingness of things to be taken seriously. The paper argues that there is a complex duality to the commodity as it is always comprised of both use‐value and exchange‐value and hence as both ‘natural’ and ‘social’. It is pointed out that the usual translation of words with the root ‘gesellschaft‐’ as ‘social’ is unhelpful and that a better term would be ‘societal’, as this enables Marx, and us, to re‐approach the very distinction between the natural, the societal and the social. Marx's notion of ‘value as equivalence’ is then outlined and it is argued that this crucial stage in his account is often passed over. Value as equivalence is not a mere social production but relies upon the expression of the use‐value of one thing in another. This leads to the third move which is an outline of the importance of value‐form and social form. It is argued that it is this formation of a commodity (comprising both the natural and the social) which is the key both to understanding it as a specific historical entity as well as offering a powerful, non‐reductive, account of the natural, social, material and historical character of things. Overall, the article attempts to develop a novel conception of natural‐social commodities which does not premise either side of this dyad and so might help social theorists to talk of real things whilst avoiding charges of essentialism and reductionism as well as possible Latourian critiques of over‐generalization.
Desperately seeking social approval: Adam Smith, Thorstein Veblen and the moral limits of capitalist culture
Authors: Watson Matthew 
Published: September 2012

AbstractAdam Smith and Thorstein Veblen shared much in matters of economic ontology. Both dismissed the very notion of an autonomous economic self and instead investigated the processes through which self and other are mutually constituted under changing cultural traditions of individual aspiration. Their strikingly similar critiques of status‐oriented consumption and concern for the moral basis of the market economy are established in this manner. However, the political implications of their analyses point in different directions, with Veblen being the more radical. The Smithian individual can always use spectatorial insights to assert through genuinely praiseworthy behaviour personal moral distance from social norms of status‐oriented consumption. The Veblenian individual, by contrast, has no such capacity for elevating abstract moral principles above socially‐situated conduct, as mind and environment co‐evolve in line with changing material circumstances of life. For Veblen, the rise of status‐oriented consumption itself acted as a form of moral self‐education that more deeply entrenched the social norms of ownership out of which it arose, thus the impossibility of an autonomous economic self was matched by the impossibility of an autonomous moral self. To his way of thinking, moral degradation in conspicuous consumption was irredeemably inscribed into the whole cultural structure of capitalism.
Age‐dependence of power spectral density and fractal dimension of bone mineralized matrix in atomic force microscope topography images: potential correlates of bone tissue age and bone fragility in female femoral neck trabeculae
Authors: Milovanovic Petar , Djuric Marija , Rakocevic Zlatko 
Published: September 2012

AbstractThere is an increasing interest in bone nano‐structure, the ultimate goal being to reveal the basis of age‐related bone fragility. In this study, power spectral density (PSD) data and fractal dimensions of the mineralized bone matrix were extracted from atomic force microscope topography images of the femoral neck trabeculae. The aim was to evaluate age‐dependent differences in the mineralized matrix of human bone and to consider whether these advanced nano‐descriptors might be linked to decreased bone remodeling observed by some authors and age‐related decline in bone mechanical competence. The investigated bone specimens belonged to a group of young adult women (n = 5, age: 20–40 years) and a group of elderly women (n = 5, age: 70–95 years) without bone diseases. PSD graphs showed the roughness density distribution in relation to spatial frequency. In all cases, there was a fairly linear decrease in magnitude of the power spectra with increasing spatial frequencies. The PSD slope was steeper in elderly individuals (−2.374 vs. −2.066), suggesting the dominance of larger surface morphological features. Fractal dimension of the mineralized bone matrix showed a significant negative trend with advanced age, declining from 2.467 in young individuals to 2.313 in the elderly (r = 0.65, P = 0.04). Higher fractal dimension in young women reflects domination of smaller mineral grains, which is compatible with the more freshly remodeled structure. In contrast, the surface patterns in elderly individuals were indicative of older tissue age. Lower roughness and reduced structural complexity (decreased fractal dimension) of the interfibrillar bone matrix in the elderly suggest a decline in bone toughness, which explains why aged bone is more brittle and prone to fractures.
Salivary gland botulinum toxin injections for drooling in children with cerebral palsy and neurodevelopmental disability: a systematic review
Authors: RODWELL KATE , EDWARDS PRIYA , WARE ROBERT S , BOYD ROSLYN 
Published: September 2012

Aim  The aim of this paper was to systematically review the efficacy and safety of botulinum toxin (BoNT) injections to the salivary glands to treat drooling in children with cerebral palsy and neurodevelopmental disability.Method  A systematic search of The Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, PubMed, CINAHL (Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature), EMBASE, and the Physiotherapy Evidence Database (PEDro) was conducted (up to 1 October 2011). Data sources included published randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and prospective studies.Results  Sixteen studies met inclusion criteria. Three outcome measures support the effectiveness of BoNT for drooling. One RCT found an almost 30% reduction in the impact of drooling on patients’ lives, as measured by the Drooling Impact Scale (mean difference −27.45; 95% confidence interval [CI] −35.28 to −19.62). There were sufficient data to pool results on one outcome measure, the Drooling Frequency and Severity Scale, which supports this result (mean difference −2.71; 95% CI −4.82 to −0.60; p<0.001). There was a significant reduction in the observed number of bibs required per day. The incidence of adverse events ranged from 2 to 41%, but was inconsistently reported. One trial was terminated early because of adverse events.Interpretation  BoNT is an effective, temporary treatment for sialorrhoea in children with cerebral palsy. Benefits need to be weighed against the potential for serious adverse events. More studies are needed to address the safety of BoNT and to compare BoNT with other treatment options for drooling.
Communication between children and carers during mealtimes
Authors: Harding Celia , Wade Candace , Harrison Kirsty 
Published: September 2012

Mealtimes are identified as an important learning environment where socialisation and language development takes place. Caregivers can facilitate the structure of a child's learning in the mealtime setting. The aim of this study was to gain an understanding about the nature of communication in a normal population during mealtimes. This is important to help understanding about the nature of communication and interaction in children with disabilities during mealtimes.Participants were six typically developing preschool children aged from 8 months to 3;05 years. Caregivers of the children supported their child having a typical meal at home. Each mother–child dyad was video‐recorded by the researchers during a typical meal for up to 30 minutes. Each recording was transcribed by the researchers, and specific communicative features were counted and coded; caregiver comments about appropriate mealtime behaviour, child verbal and nonverbal initiation, caregiver questions and comments about meal enjoyment, caregiver praise of child, and caregiver repetition to coax feeding. A caregiver questionnaire was also completed to obtain information about the child's feeding, any early history of feeding difficulties and typical mealtime routine.The results indicated that the most considerable difference were between the dyads who had reported early feeding difficulties and those who had not reported any. Carers who supported children who had a history of early feeding difficulties used more language to manage and guide the child's behaviour during the mealtime. Caregivers who reported early feeding difficulties appeared to be more concerned with how their child was presenting at the meal (i.e., appropriate behaviour and meal enjoyment). This information has important implications for supporting children with complex needs during mealtimes.
Potent vasorelaxant activity of the TMEM16A inhibitor T16Ainh‐A01
Authors: Davis Alison J , Shi Jian , Pritchard Harry AT , Chadha Preet S , Leblanc Normand , Vasilikostas Georgios , Yao Zhen , Verkman AS , Albert Anthony P , Greenwood Iain A 
Published: September 2012

Background and PurposeT16Ainh‐A01 is a recently identified inhibitor of the calcium‐activated chloride channel TMEM16A. The aim of this study was to test the efficacy of T16Ainh‐A01 for inhibition of calcium‐activated chloride channels in vascular smooth muscle and consequent effects on vascular tone.Experimental ApproachSingle channel and whole cell patch clamp was performed on single smooth muscle cells from rabbit pulmonary artery and mouse thoracic aorta. Isometric tension studies were performed on mouse thoracic aorta and mesenteric artery as well as human abdominal visceral adipose artery.Key ResultsIn rabbit pulmonary artery myocytes T16Ainh‐A01 (1–30 μM) inhibited single calcium (Ca2+)‐activated chloride (Cl−) channels and whole cell currents activated by 500 nM free Ca2+. Similar effects were observed for single Ca2+‐activated Cl− channels in mouse thoracic aorta, and in both cell types, channel activity was abolished by two antisera raised against TMEM16A but not by a bestrophin antibody. The TMEM16A potentiator, Fact (10 μM), increased single channel and whole cell Ca2+‐activated Cl− currents in rabbit pulmonary arteries. In isometric tension studies, T16Ainh‐A01 relaxed mouse thoracic aorta pre‐contracted with methoxamine with an IC50 of 1.6 μM and suppressed the methoxamine concentration–effect curve. T16Ainh‐A01 did not affect the maximal contraction produced by 60 mM KCl and the relaxant effect of 10 μM T16Ainh‐A01 was not altered by incubation of mouse thoracic aorta in a cocktail of potassium (K+) channel blockers. T16Ainh‐A01 (10 μM) also relaxed human visceral adipose arteries by 88 ± 3%.Conclusions and ImplicationsT16Ainh‐A01 blocks calcium‐activated chloride channels in vascular smooth muscle cells and relaxes murine and human blood vessels.
Small molecular glucokinase activators: has another new anti‐diabetic therapeutic lost favour?
Authors: Rees Matthew G , Gloyn Anna L 
Published: September 2012

Glucokinase activators (GKAs) represent one of the leading hopes for the next generation of type 2 diabetes (T2D) therapeutics, showing efficacy in reducing blood glucose and HbA1c levels in animal models of T2D and short‐term human trials. While the hypoglycaemic risks of GCK activation in pancreatic beta‐cells have long been appreciated, the hepatic effects of GKAs have generally been perceived to be without significant side effect. In this issue of the British Journal of Pharmacology, De Ceuninck et al. report that acute and chronic GKA treatment of normoglycaemic and hyperglycaemic rodent models results in significant accumulation of triglycerides in the liver. This suggests GKA‐mediated activation of hepatic glucose uptake and suppression of endogenous glucose production may come at a significant cost; namely, the development of hepatic steatosis. This raises important questions regarding the safety of GKAs and emphasizes that both plasma and hepatic lipid profiles should be carefully monitored in on‐going and future studies of these molecules.Linked ArticleThis article is a commentary on De Ceuninck et al., pp. 339–353 of this issue. To view this paper visit http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1476‐5381.2012.02184.x
Long‐term reproductive outcome after hysteroscopic proximal tubal cannulation – an outcome analysis
Authors: Chung Jacqueline P.W. , Haines Christopher J. , Kong Grace W.S. 
Published: September 2012

BackgroundThe optimal therapeutic method for proximal tubal obstruction (PTO) has yet to be defined. In addition, the reported successful recanalisation rate and reproductive outcome from hysteroscopic proximal tubal cannulation have been inconsistent.AimsTo examine the morbidity and efficacy of laparoscopic–hysteroscopic proximal tubal cannulation for treating PTO.Material and MethodsThis was a retrospective study evaluating 70 infertile women with PTO who underwent laparoscopic–hysteroscopic proximal tubal cannulation in The Prince of Wales Hospital, a university‐affiliated hospital, from January 2005 to December 2010. Demographical data and operative details were reviewed. Women were then contacted by phone and completed a structured questionnaire. Recanalisation rate, intra‐operative complication, pregnancy rates and pregnancy outcomes were examined.ResultsFifty women had successful proximal cannulation on at least one side of the tube, providing an overall successful recanalisation rate of 71.4% per woman and 67.0% per tube. The overall pregnancy rate after successful hysteroscopic proximal cannulation of at least one tube is 55%. The overall mean time to become pregnant from natural conception or via clomiphene induction after successful unilateral or bilateral hysteroscopic cannulation was 10.5 ± 8.9 months. The procedure is associated with minimal morbidity. No prognostic factors were significantly associated with recanalisation and pregnancy rate.ConclusionLaparoscopic–hysteroscopic cannulation for proximal obstruction is a procedure with minimal morbidity and a reasonable successful recanalisation rate. It should be considered as an alternative to in vitro fertilisation.
Fixed cervical count and the origin of the mammalian diaphragm
Authors: Buchholtz Emily A. , Bailin H. Grady , Laves Susan A. , Yang Jennifer T. , Chan Mei‐Yee , Drozd Lucie E. 
Published: September 2012

SUMMARYWhy is mammalian cervical count fixed across the historically long and ecologically broad mammalian radiation? Multiple lines of evidence, considered together, suggest a link between fixed cervical count and the muscularization of the diaphragm, a key innovation in mammalian history. We test this hypothesis by documenting the anteroposterior (AP) movement of the diaphragm, a lateral plate derivative, relative to that of the somitic thoracolumbar transition in unusually patterned mammals, by comparing the temporal occurrence of an osteological proxy for the diaphragm and fixed cervical counts in the fossil record, and by quantifying morphological differentiation within the mammalian cervical series. We then integrate these anatomical observations with details of diaphragm function and development to propose a sequence of innovations in mammalian evolution that could have led to fixed cervical count. We argue that the novel commitment of migratory muscle precursor cells (MMPs) of mid‐cervical somites to a fate in the abaxial diaphragm defined these somites as a new and uniquely mammalian modular subunit. We further argue that the coordination of primaxial abaxial patterning constrained subsequent AP migration of the forelimb, thereby secondarily fixing cervical count.
Two Mechanisms Involved in Trigeminal CGRP Release: Implications for Migraine Treatment
Authors: Durham Paul L. , Masterson Caleb G. 
Published: September 2012

Objective/Background.— The goal of this study was to better understand the cellular mechanisms involved in proton stimulation of calcitonin gene‐related peptide (CGRP) secretion from cultured trigeminal neurons by investigating the effects of 2 antimigraine therapies, onabotulinumtoxinA and rizatriptan. Stimulated CGRP release from peripheral and central terminating processes of trigeminal ganglia neurons is implicated in migraine pathology by promoting inflammation and nociception. Based on models of migraine pathology, several inflammatory molecules including protons are thought to facilitate sensitization and activation of trigeminal nociceptive neurons and stimulate CGRP secretion. Despite the reported efficacy of triptans and onabotulinumtoxinA to treat acute and chronic migraine, respectively, a substantial number of migraineurs do not get adequate relief with these therapies. A possible explanation is that triptans and onabotulinumtoxinA are not able to block proton‐mediated CGRP secretion.Methods.— CGRP secretion from cultured primary trigeminal ganglia neurons was quantitated by radioimmunoassay while intracellular calcium and sodium levels were measured in neurons via live cell imaging using Fura‐2 AM and SBFI AM, respectively. The expression of acid‐sensing ion channel 3 (ASIC3) was determined by immunocytochemistry and Western blot analysis. In addition, the involvement of ASICs in mediating proton stimulation of CGRP was investigated using the potent and selective ASIC3 inhibitor APETx2.Results.— While KCl caused a significant increase in CGRP secretion that was significantly repressed by treatment with ethylene glycol tetraacetic acid (EGTA), onabotulinumtoxinA, and rizatriptan, the stimulatory effect of protons (pH 5.5) was not suppressed by EGTA, onabotulinumtoxinA, or rizatriptan. In addition, while KCl caused a transient increase in intracellular calcium levels that was blocked by EGTA, no appreciable change in calcium levels was observed with proton treatment. However, protons did significantly increase the intracellular level of sodium ions. Under our culture conditions, ASIC3 was shown to be expressed in most trigeminal ganglion neurons. Importantly, proton stimulation of CGRP secretion was repressed by pretreatment with the ASIC3 inhibitor APETx2, but not the transient receptor potential vanilloid‐1 antagonist capsazepine.Conclusions.— Our findings provide evidence that proton regulated release of CGRP from trigeminal neurons utilizes a different mechanism than the calcium and synaptosomal‐associated protein 25‐dependent pathways that are inhibited by the antimigraine therapies, rizatriptan and onabotulinumtoxinA.
Methodology on the My World Survey (MWS): a unique window into the world of adolescents in Ireland
Authors: Dooley Barbara , Fitzgerald Amanda 
Published: September 2012

AbstractBackgroundInternationally, 75% of all mental health problems emerge before the age of 25 years, and adolescence represents a critical period that strongly influences the course of these problems. To date, there is limited research on the mental health of young people aged 12–25 years in Ireland. The My World Survey (MWS) national study provides data on risk and protective factors of mental health among 14 306 young people. The MWS was conducted in two phases: Phase 1 – MWS‐Second Level (MWS‐SL) with adolescents aged 12–19 years, and Phase 2 – MWS‐Post Second Level among young adults aged 17–25 years.AimThis article provides a comprehensive overview of the development of the MWS‐SL study. Another aim is to identify key learning points when conducting research in the second‐level school system.MethodsThe MWS‐SL study was conducted with 6085 adolescents aged 12–19 years in 72 second‐level schools. The MWS consists of standardized reliable and valid measures that have been used internationally to assess a range of risk and protective factors associated with adolescent mental health.ResultsSchools recruited for the MWS‐SL study represented quite well the national distribution of second‐level schools based on gender composition, disadvantaged/non‐disadvantaged status and geographic location.ConclusionsKey learning points when collecting survey data in schools include pilot testing of survey instruments; building relationships with key stakeholders to ensure buy‐in for the study from schools; establishing rigorous data collection and processing protocols; and recognizing the value of online surveys.