bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Tonic regulation of vascular permeability
Authors: Curry F.‐R. E. , Adamson R. H. 
Published: February 2013

AbstractOur major theme is that the layered structure of the endothelial barrier requires continuous activation of signalling pathways regulated by sphingosine‐1‐phosphate (S1P) and intracellular cAMP. These pathways modulate the adherens junction, continuity of tight junction strands, and the balance of synthesis and degradation of glycocalyx components. We evaluate recent evidence that baseline permeability is maintained by constant activity of mechanisms involving the small GTPases Rap1 and Rac1. In the basal state, the barrier is compromised when activities of the small GTPases are reduced by low S1P supply or delivery. With inflammatory stimulus, increased permeability can be understood in part as the action of signalling to reduce Rap1 and Rac1 activation. With the hypothesis that microvessel permeability and selectivity under both normal and inflammatory conditions are regulated by mechanisms that are continuously active, it follows that when S1P or intracellular cAMP are elevated at the time of inflammatory stimulus, they can buffer changes induced by inflammatory agents and maintain normal barrier stability. When endothelium is exposed to inflammatory conditions and subsequently exposed to elevated S1P or intracellular cAMP, the same processes restore the functional barrier by first re‐establishing the adherens junction, then modulating tight junctions and glycocalyx. In more extreme inflammatory conditions, loss of the inhibitory actions of Rac1‐dependent mechanisms may promote expression of more inflammatory endothelial phenotypes by contributing to the up‐regulation of RhoA‐dependent contractile mechanisms and the sustained loss of surface glycocalyx allowing access of inflammatory cells to the endothelium.
Endoscopy‐assisted breast‐conserving surgery for early breast cancer
Authors: Saimura Michiyo , Mitsuyama Shoshu , Anan Keisei , Koga Kenichiro , Watanabe Masato , Ono Minoru , Toyoshima Satoshi 
Published: February 2013

AbstractIntroductionEndoscopic surgery is reportedly associated with smaller scars and greater patient satisfaction. Herein we evaluate the early results of endoscopy‐assisted breast‐conserving surgery(E‐BCS).MethodsBetween May 2009 and October 2010, 61 women with breast cancer underwent E‐BCS. We performed E‐BCS on patients with tumors measuring less than 2 cm, without skin or pectoralis muscles invasion. Any patients with microcalcified lesions or axillary lymph node metastasis were excluded. We used an endoscopic vein retractor to dissect the dorsal layer of the mammary gland from a small axillar incision. We dissected the subcutaneous layer and cut the mammary gland vertically from a periareolar incision. We evaluated the clinicopathological characteristics, the surgical outcomes, and early cosmetic results.ResultsThe mean age of the patients was 58.5 years, and the mean tumor size was 1.4 cm. Sentinel node biopsy was positive in seven patients, all of whom underwent axillary node dissection. An additional intraoperative resection of the breast was performed in 12 patients. The mean length of the operation was 167 min, and the mean blood loss was 27 mL. Eight patients received a boost to the tumor bed. The cosmetic results were satisfactory, and the wound scar was inconspicuous in most patients.ConclusionHerein we demonstrate that E‐BCS is a feasible and safe procedure for patients with early breast cancer. It allows for a better cosmetic scar location and offers patients favorable aesthetic results in the short‐term follow‐up results.
A longitudinal investigation of the impact of faculty reflective practices on students' evaluations of teaching
Authors: Winchester Tiffany M. , Winchester Maxwell K. 
Published: February 2013

AbstractThough there have been many studies conducted that emphasise faculty reflection as a crucial feature of professional practice, there appears to have been little empirical evidence to support the proposition that reflective practice improves the quality of teaching. Previous research demonstrated that reflective practice could be encouraged by weekly formative student evaluations of teaching (SETs). This study investigated the impact of reported reflective practice using formative SETs on changes to summative SETs, typically conducted at the end of a teaching period. Data was collected in a rural UK‐based university‐college in 11 modules (n = six faculty members, n = 413 students) in Business, Countryside and Environment, Foundation Degree and Veterinary Nursing programmes over the period of 2 years of data collection. Findings show that on average, SET scores increased for all reflective practitioners year on year and increased more for those faculty members who demonstrated higher levels of reflection.
The use of abdominal muscle training, breathing exercises and abdominal massage to treat paediatric chronic functional constipation
Authors: Silva C. A. G. , Motta M. E. F. A. 
Published: February 2013

AbstractAimThe effect of muscular training, abdominal massage and diaphragmatic breathing was compared with medical treatment in a prospective randomized trial of patients with chronic functional constipation.MethodPatients aged 4–18 years old with functional constipation according to the Rome III criteria were randomized to physiotherapy or medical treatment. In the physiotherapy group, exercises (isometric training of the abdominal muscles, diaphragmatic breathing exercises and abdominal massage) were employed during 12 40‐min sessions twice a week by a trained physiotherapist, with laxatives. Patients in the medication group were only given laxatives. Primary outcome measures were frequency of defaecation and faecal incontinence. The analysis was performed by intention‐to‐treat.ResultsAfter 6 weeks of treatment, the frequency of bowel movements was higher in the physiotherapy group [5.1 (2.1) days/week] than in the medication group [3.9 (2.0) days/week] (P = 0.01). The frequency of faecal incontinence was no different between the groups [3.6 (1.9) days/week vs 3.0 (2.1) days/week] (P = 0.31).ConclusionThe combined use of isometric training of abdominal muscles, breathing exercises and abdominal massage increased defaecation frequency after 6 weeks but faecal incontinence remained unchanged. Physiotherapy may be a useful treatment for constipation.
Knowledge and attitude of dental faculty members towards evidence‐based dentistry in Iran
Authors: Sabounchi S. S. , Nouri M. , Erfani N. , Houshmand B. , Khoshnevisan M. H. 
Published: February 2013

AbstractIntroductionEducating dental practitioners is a major component in obtaining evidence‐based approach to oral health care, but there is no evidence about knowledge and attitude of dental faculty members towards evidence‐based dentistry (EBD) in Iran.Materials and methodsA cross‐sectional study was conducted using self‐administered questionnaires on dental school faculties in Iran to assess their knowledge and attitude towards basic principles and methods of EBD. A total of eight dental schools were randomly selected of 17 public and two existing private schools. Validated questionnaire with an appropriate reliability (Cronbach's alpha 0.67 – 0.87) was conducted on (n = 505) available dental instructors. The covered dimensions were perceived knowledge on critical appraisal, actual knowledge of EBD concepts, evidence‐accessing methods and attitudes about EBD. Correlations were assessed between background characteristics and four main parts of the questionnaire, and multiple linear regression analysis was also used.ResultsA total of 377 of 505 dental instructors returned completed questionnaires (response rate 74.65%). The mean perceived knowledge score was 15.32 ± 4.69 on a range of 6–36, and mean actual knowledge was 7.98 ± 2.0 on a range of 0–11 for all respondents with an overall positive attitude towards EBD.ConclusionsThis study suggests that the level of actual knowledge of dental faculties about basic principles of EBD was moderate in Iran. However, faculties' overall interest and positive attitude towards learning EBD is encouraging. Therefore, it is highly recommended that degree/certificate continuing educational programmes be planned by the organising committees.
Stem cell transplantation after reduced‐intensity conditioning for sickle cell disease
Authors: Matthes‐Martin Susanne , Lawitschka Anita , Fritsch Gerhard , Lion Thomas , Grimm Brigitte , Breuer Sabine , Boztug Heidrun , Karlhuber Susanne , Holter Wolfgang , Peters Christina , Minkov Milen 
Published: February 2013

AbstractSickle cell disease (SCD) is still associated with substantial morbidity and reduced life expectancy. Disease‐related mortality rises to 14% in adolescents and young adults. Overall and disease‐free survival following haematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) is 90% and 95%, respectively. To reduce transplant‐associated late effects, the feasibility of a highly immunosuppressive reduced‐intensity conditioning (RIC) regimen was explored in children with SCD and a matched sibling donor. Eight patients (median age, 9 yr) and symptomatic SCD were included. The conditioning regimen consisted of fludarabine, melphalan and either thiotepa or total lymphoid irradiation plus antithymocyte globuline or alemtuzumab. The graft was bone marrow in seven and cord blood in one case. The conditioning regimen was well tolerated and no severe infectious complications occurred. All patients displayed mixed chimaerism on day +28. After a median follow‐up of 4 yr, 3/8 patients have mixed leucocyte chimaerism and 8/8 patients have 100% donor erythropoiesis. HSCT from matched sibling donors following a RIC regimen was well tolerated and resulted in cure in all patients studied. If confirmed in larger patient cohorts, these observations will have important implications for the indications of HSCT in children with SCD.
Enkephalin knockdown in the central amygdala nucleus reduces unconditioned fear and anxiety
Authors: Poulin Jean‐François , Bérubé Patrick , Laforest Sylvie , Drolet Guy 
Published: February 2013

AbstractThe endogenous opioid enkephalins (ENK) are highly expressed in the central nucleus of the amygdaloid complex (CeA) where several lines of evidence point to a potential role in the modulation of fear and anxiety. In this study, we aimed to assess the role ofCeA ENKusing local injections of a lentiviral vector expressing a short hairpinRNA(shRNA) targetingENKinSprague–Dawley rats. We injected this vector in theCeAand a 56% downregulation ofENK mRNAwas observed in animals when compared with scrambled shRNAanimals. Anxiety‐like behaviors were also assessed using the elevated plus maze and social interaction test. There was an increase in exploration of open arms of the elevated plus maze inENKknockdown animals compared with controls, but no change in social interaction. In addition, we used the contextual fear conditioning procedure to assess fear expression and learning in these animals. There was a reduction in freezing induced by acute shocks during the training procedure. Interestingly, associative learning was not affected, andENKknockdown animals displayed an equivalent freezing when re‐exposed to the conditioning chamber 48 h later. These results contrast with knockout mice studies, which ascribed anxiolytic properties toENK, and they demonstrate the need for a thorough understanding and characterization of neuroanatomically distinctENKpathways.
Dopaminergic and GABA‐ergic markers of impulsivity in rats: evidence for anatomical localisation in ventral striatum and prefrontal cortex
Authors: Jupp Bianca , Caprioli Daniele , Saigal Niel , Reverte Ingrid , Shrestha Saurav , Cumming Paul , Everitt Barry J. , Robbins Trevor W. , Dalley Jeffrey W. 
Published: February 2013

AbstractAccumulating evidence indicates that impulsivity, in its multiple forms, involves cortical and subcortical mechanisms and abnormal dopamine (DA) transmission. Although decreased DA D2/D3 receptor availability in the nucleus accumbens (NAcb) predicts trait‐like impulsivity in rats it is unclear whether this neurochemical marker extends to both the NAcb core (NAcbC) and shell (NAcbS) and whether markers for other neurotransmitter systems implicated in impulsivity such as serotonin (5‐HT), endogenous opioids and γ‐amino‐butyric acid (GABA) are likewise altered in impulsive rats. We therefore used autoradiography to investigate DA transporter (DAT), 5‐HT transporter (5‐HTT) and D1, D2/D3, μ‐opioid and GABA(A) receptor binding in selected regions of the prefrontal cortex and striatum in rats expressing low and high impulsive behaviour on the five‐choice serial reaction‐time task. High‐impulsive (HI) rats exhibited significantly lower binding for DAT and D2/D3 receptors in the NAcbS and for D1 receptors in the NAcbC compared with low‐impulsive (LI) rats. HI rats also showed significantly lower GABA(A) receptor binding in the anterior cingulate cortex. For all regions where receptor binding was altered in HI rats, binding was inversely correlated with impulsive responding on task. There were no significant differences in binding for 5‐HTT or μ‐opioid receptors in any of the regions investigated. These results indicate that altered D2/D3 receptor binding is localised to the NAcbS of trait‐like impulsive rats and is accompanied by reduced binding for DAT. Alterations in binding for D1 receptors in the NAcbC and GABA(A) receptors in the anterior cingulate cortex demonstrate additional markers and putative mechanisms underlying the expression of behavioural impulsivity.
Restless legs syndrome in end‐stage renal disease: a multicenter study in Taiwan
Authors: Lin C.‐H. , Wu V.‐C. , Li W.‐Y. , Sy H.‐N. , Wu S.‐L. , Chang C.‐C. , Chiu P.‐F. , Lion H.‐H. , Lin C.‐Y. , Chang H.‐W. , Lin S.‐Y. , Wu K.‐D. , Chen Y.‐M. , Wu R.‐M. 
Published: February 2013

Background and purposeRestless legs syndrome (RLS) is an underestimated movement disorder in patients with end‐stage renal disease (ESRD). Several clinical and laboratory factors were inconsistently reported to associate with RLS. We aim to perform a large‐scale multicenter study to investigate the possible associated risk factors of RLS in patients with ESRD in Taiwan, a country with the highest incidence of uremia in the world.MethodsFrom October 2009 to October 2011, we constitutively recruited 1130 patients with ESRD from 17 hemodialysis centers. Demographic, laboratory data, presence and severity of RLS were collected. Odds ratios (ORs) were estimated by logistic regression models.ResultsWe found the prevalence of RLS to be 25.3% in patients with ESRD. Having type 2 diabetes [OR = 3.61 (2.27–5.77), P < 0.01], low serum transferrin saturation [OR = 1.42 (1.01–2.03), P < 0.05] and duration of dialysis [OR = 1.09 (1.03–1.14), P < 0.01] were associated with RLS. In contrast, high serum hemoglobin level was inversely associated with RLS [OR = 0.61 (0.40–0.89), P < 0.05]. RLS has a significant impact on sleep quality in dialysis patients. Among patients with RLS, history of type 2 diabetes [OR = 4.04 (1.65–10.79), P < 0.05], low serum hemoglobin level [OR = 5.41 (2.43–13.12), P < 0.01] and duration of dialysis [OR = 1.01 (1.01–1.02), P < 0.01] were associated with increased severity of RLS.ConclusionsOur findings demonstrated that RLS is common in Taiwanese dialysis patients. Clinicians should have a high suspicion for the presence of RLS symptoms in patients with ESRD, especially those with type 2 diabetes, anemia, low serum iron status and long duration of dialysis.
Olfactory Snake‐Predator Discrimination in the Cape Ground Squirrel
Authors: Phillips Molly A. , Waterman Jane M. 
Published: February 2013

AbstractSmall mammals have a number of means to detect and avoid predators, including visual, auditory and olfactory cues. Olfactory cues are particularly important for nocturnal or fossorial species where visual cues would not be as reliable. The Cape ground squirrel (Xerus inauris) is a semi‐fossorial, diurnal mammal from southern Africa. Cape ground squirrels encounter multiple species of predatory snake that pursue individuals underground where visual and social cues are limited. We assessed whether Cape ground squirrels use odours to discriminate between snakes by presenting a non‐venomous snake, a venomous snake and a control odour collected on polyethylene cubes to 11 adult female squirrels from 11 different social groups. Cape ground squirrels responded by inspecting the cube, displaying snake harassment–associated behaviours and decreasing time spent in close proximity to snake odours when compared with a control. They also displayed discrimination between two snake species by increasing the frequency of cube inspection and increasing harassment behaviours with venomous snake odours when compared with non‐venomous snake odours. We conclude that Cape ground squirrels respond with snake‐specific antipredator behaviours when presented olfactory cues alone. Olfactory discrimination may be maintained by the decreased utility of other methods of predator detection: sight and group detection, in below‐ground encounters.
Understanding Mimicry – with Special Reference to Vocal Mimicry
Authors: Wickler Wolfgang 
Published: February 2013

AbstractThe term mimicry was introduced to biology in 1862 byHenryWalterBates in his evolutionary explanation of deceptive communication in nature, based on a three‐part interaction system of a mimicked organism or object (called model), a mimicking organism (called mimic), and one or more organisms as selecting agents. Bates gave two incongruous definitions of mimicry: one from the viewpoint of a natural agent that selects for, and in consequence is deceived by, the close resemblance of a toxic model's warning signal and the similar appearance of a palatable mimic, and another one from the viewpoint of a human taxonomist who under an evolutionary aspect focuses on convergent resemblance between model and mimic. Later definitions of Müllerian (F.Müller), arithmetic (A.Wallace) and social (M.Moynihan) mimicry abolish deception in the natural selecting agent, rely on the convergence criterion alone, fuse the roles of model and mimic but have to accept a mix of homologous and convergent resemblance amongst them for a functional explanation. The definition of vocal mimicry (E.Armstrong) refers to a learned resemblance between mimic and heterospecific model by character duplication (no convergence), so far without known (deceived or not deceived) natural selecting agents. It excludesBatesian vocal mimicry. The functional ethological understanding of mimicry as a tripartite communication system (W.Wickler) is consistent with Bates' concept and accepts deception as key element of Batesian mimicry beyond homologous and convergent resemblances. Deception is seen as caused by the divergence between a sign and its meaning for the natural selecting agent. This understanding covers mimicry in all behaviour domains, provides a generally applicable definition of mimic and model so far missing in any mimicry concept, and it distinguishes – still in line with Henry Bates – cultural from genetically determined model‐mimic‐resemblance; this applies to vocal mimicry in particular. Convergently evolved model‐mimic‐resemblance, not essential inBatesian mimicry but mandatory for its alternatives, marks a fundamental distinction betweenBatesian mimicry (includingMimesis) and all other conceptualized mimicries and accounts for the non‐existence of a unified meaning of the term mimicry. However, character convergence does not help to explain the mere existence of mimicry phenomena and is irrelevant for their permanence in nature. I therefore propose to remove the convergence argument from any mimicry definition.
All That is Just Ersatz: The Meaning of Work in the Life of Immigrant Newcomers
Authors: Roberman Sveta 
Published: February 2013

AbstractIn this study, I present the case of middle‐age and late middle‐age Jewish immigrants from the former Soviet Union to Germany, who are attempting to rebuild their employment biographies and construct identities of social worth and status in the new country but are constrained from entering formal salaried jobs and are thus pushed into alternative work schemes. I explore the everyday experiences of these subjects and analyze why the alternative work projects fail to provide an equal substitute for formal salaried employment. Highlighting work as a crucial resource for the construction of immigrants’ self‐perceptions, identities, and sense of belonging in a new country, I challenge claims about the diminishing meaning of work—in particular what is considered to be standard (long‐term, salaried) employment—in the construction of identities and determination of social hierarchies in contemporary Western societies. [unemployment–underemployment, nonstandard work, immigrant experience, recognition, marginalization]
Change and the Construction of Gendered Selfhood among Mexican Men Experiencing Erectile Difficulty
Authors: Wentzell Emily 
Published: February 2013

AbstractCultural anthropologists disagree about how to define “the self,” debating whether it is an integrated or fragmented entity, and how people experience singular “selves” despite lived change. I argue that, rather than disrupting self‐making, experiences of social or embodied disjunction may become key elements of shifting but cohesive‐feeling selves, especially in cultural contexts in which change over time is expected. To do so, I examine the changes in selfhood lived out by Mexican men experiencing decreased erectile function, analyzing their narratives regarding their experiences of erectile difficulty and the social and physical changes, like aging and illness, that can cause it. I examine how men collaborated with women including wives, mistresses, and me to incorporate changes that rendered them unable to enact stereotypically macho or youthful masculinities into self‐consciously different selves, which made sense within local cultural calls for change in gender norms. [self, masculinity, aging, sexuality]
Power Struggles: The Paradoxes of Emotion and Control among Child‐Centered Mothers in the Privileged United States
Authors: Hoffman Diane M. 
Published: February 2013

AbstractIn the discourse on contemporary parenting in the United States, the parent–child “power struggle” is often spoken of as a common event in the everyday lives of parents and children. On the basis of ethnographic interviews with economically privileged white mothers of preschool and elementary‐age children, I analyze the power struggle as a cultural trope. Despite refusal to be considered “mainstream” and outright denigration of what they considered to be “mainstream” parenting, mothers’ discourse reveals cultural understandings about power and its relationship to the self that reflect broader themes of emotional control, choice, rationality, and individualism that are in fact characteristic of “mainstream” views of child development. Further, although mothers explicitly valued emotional connectedness and freedom of expression with their children, the actual strategies advocated for dealing with emotions during the power struggle are centered on control and constraint of emotional discourse and expression. The article explores this theme in the light of tensions surrounding parental identities in privileged communities in the contemporary United States [parenting, emotion, self, power, child development]