bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Additive actions of the cannabinoid and neuropeptide Y systems on adiposity and lipid oxidation
Authors: Zhang L. , Lee N. J. , Nguyen A. D. , Enriquez R. F. , Riepler S. J. , Stehrer B. , Yulyaningsih E. , Lin S. , Shi Y. C. , Baldock P. A. , Herzog H. , Sainsbury A. 
Published: December 2009

Aims: Energy homeostasis is regulated by a complex interaction of molecules and pathways, and new antiobesity treatments are likely to require multiple pharmacological targeting of anorexigenic or orexigenic pathways to achieve effective loss of excess body weight and adiposity. Cannabinoids, acting via the cannabinoid‐1 (CB1) receptor, and neuropeptide Y (NPY) are important modulators of feeding behaviour, energy metabolism and body composition. We investigated the interaction of CB1 and NPY in the regulation of energy homeostasis, hypothesizing that dual blockade of CB1 and NPY signalling will induce greater weight and/or fat loss than that induced by single blockade of either system alone. Methods: We studied the effects of the CB1 antagonist Rimonabant on food intake, body weight, body composition, energy metabolism and bone physiology in wild‐type (WT) and NPY knockout (NPY−/−) mice. Rimonabant was administered orally at 10 mg/kg body weight twice per day for 3 weeks. Oral Rimonabant was delivered voluntarily to mice via a novel method enabling studies to be carried out in the absence of gavage‐induced stress. Results: Mice with dual blockade of CB1 and NPY signalling (Rimonabant‐treated NPY−/− mice) exhibited greater reductions in body weight and adiposity than mice with single blockade of either system alone (Rimonabant‐treated WT or vehicle‐treated NPY−/− mice). These changes occurred without loss of lean tissue mass or bone mass. Furthermore, Rimonabant‐treated NPY−/− mice showed a lower respiratory exchange ratio than that seen in Rimonabant‐treated WT or vehicle‐treated NPY−/− mice, suggesting that this additive effect of dual blockade of CB1 and NPY involves promotion of lipid oxidation. On the other hand, energy expenditure and physical activity were comparable amongst all treatment groups. Interestingly, Rimonabant similarly and transiently reduced spontaneous and fasting‐induced food intake in WT and NPY−/− mice in the first hour after administration only, suggesting independent regulation of feeding by CB1 and NPY signalling. In contrast, Rimonabant increased serum corticosterone levels in WT mice, but this effect was not seen in NPY−/− mice, indicating that NPY signalling may be required for effects of CB1 on the hypothalamo‐pituitary‐adrenal axis. Conclusions: Dual blockade of CB1 and NPY signalling leads to additive reductions in body weight and adiposity without concomitant loss of lean body mass or bone mass. An additive increase in lipid oxidation in dual CB1 and NPY blockade may contribute to the effect on adiposity. These findings open new avenues for more effective treatment of obesity via dual pharmacological manipulations of the CB1 and NPY systems.
Deconstructing morphology
Authors: Scholtz Gerhard 
Published: December 2009

AbstractScholtz, G. 2010. Deconstructing morphology. —Acta Zoologica (Stockholm) 91: 44–63Morphology as the science of form is, in particular, related to the overwhelming diversity of animal forms. Due to its long pre‐Darwinian tradition, organismic morphology is partly burdened by ahistorical typological views. On the other hand, the study of organismic form has always implied concepts of transformation, which helped to pave the way for evolutionary theories. This contradictory history and the fact that we need words to describe organismic form lead in many cases to morphological concepts implying a mixture of structural, functional, developmental, ecological, typological, and evolutionary aspects in current morphological approaches. Because these mixed views lead to contradictory and misleading interpretations of animal form, I stress the need to deconstruct morphological concepts at all levels. I propose a morphology that analyses transformation of animal forms strictly at the structural level in combination with genealogical thinking. Function and other biological aspects of form should be considered in an independent second analytical step. A comparative pattern approach, including developmental patterns, of animal structure in an evolutionary framework allows for the analysis of morphological change, in particular, phylogenetic reconstructions, homology assessment, and the recognition of evolutionary independent morphological units.
What are the learning affordances of 3‐D virtual environments?
Authors: Dalgarno Barney , Lee Mark J. W. 
Published: December 2009

AbstractThis article explores the potential learning benefits of three‐dimensional (3‐D) virtual learning environments (VLEs). Drawing on published research spanning two decades, it identifies a set of unique characteristics of 3‐D VLEs, which includes aspects of their representational fidelity and aspects of the learner–computer interactivity they facilitate. A review of applications of 3‐D VLEs is presented, leading to the identification of a series of learning affordances of such environments. These affordances include the facilitation of tasks that lead to enhanced spatial knowledge representation, greater opportunities for experiential learning, increased motivation/engagement, improved contextualisation of learning and richer/more effective collaborative learning as compared to tasks made possible by 2‐D alternatives. The authors contend that the continued development of and investment in 3‐D games, simulations and virtual worlds for educational purposes should be considered contingent on further investigation into the precise relationships between the unique characteristics of 3‐D VLEs and their potential learning benefits. To this end, they conclude by proposing an agenda or ‘roadmap’ for future research that encompasses empirical studies aimed at exploring these relationships, as well as those aimed at deriving principles and guidelines to inform the design, development and use of 3‐D virtual environments for learning.
Supporting authors in the development of task‐based learning in serious virtual worlds
Authors: Bellotti Francesco , Berta Riccardo , De Gloria Alessandro , Primavera Ludovica 
Published: December 2009

AbstractSerious virtual worlds (SVWs) represent a great opportunity for learning and should embed a lot of high‐quality contextualised information so that the player can take the most from his or her exploration of the environment. This requires defining new methodologies and tools for effective production. We have investigated this issue in implementing a couple of SVWs and abstracted a conceptual framework relying on the task‐based learning pedagogical theory. The model defines games set in realistic SVWs enriched with embedded educational tasks. Tasks are simple trial activities that embody units of knowledge. The player can discover them in his or her SVW exploration and interact with them in order to construct meaning, build lasting memories and deepen understanding of the featured item(s). The model involves pedagogical task annotation—which allows decoupling the tasks, which can be reused in different VWs from the definition of their delivery strategy in the context of a specific VW, which is specified by the VW designer and automatically managed by the run‐time engine. This approach simplifies the authoring work. The visual Creative Toolkit (CT) we have developed is being used for producing contents for the 15 reconstructed cultural cities that will be featured in the first version of the Travel in Europe VW. The paper described the overall framework and the details of the CT. It also presented an implemented example, briefly discussing the methodology we have followed for developing cultural heritage content.
Synergistic effect of two oxidative stress‐related genes (heme oxygenase‐1 and GSK3β) on the risk of Parkinson’s disease
Authors: Infante J. , García‐Gorostiaga I. , Sánchez‐Juan P. , Sierra M. , Martín‐Gurpegui J. L. , Terrazas J. , Mateo I. , Rodríguez‐Rodríguez E. , Berciano J. , Combarros O. 
Published: December 2009

Background:  Oxidative stress is a central factor in the pathogenesis of Parkinson’s disease (PD). Heme oxygenase‐1 (HO‐1) is an antioxidant protein expressed in response to oxidative challenge, and its expression levels are inversely correlated with glycogen synthase kinase‐3β (GSK3β) activity. Underexpression of HO‐1 in concert with an upregulation of GSK3β would result in a less effective antioxidant response and might increase the risk of PD.Methods:  We examined two functional polymorphism in the promoter regions of HO‐1 (−413, rs2071746) and GSK3β (−157, rs6438552) in a group of 251 Spanish patients with PD and 234 controls.Results:  Subjects carrying both the HO‐1 (−413, rs2071746) TT genotype and the GSK3β (−157, rs6438552) TT genotype had a four times higher risk of developing PD than subjects without these genotypes (adjusted by age and sex OR = 4.12; 95% CI = 1.45–11.71; Bonferroni corrected P = 0.024).Conclusions:  Considering synergistic effects between polymorphisms in oxidative stress‐related genes may help in determining the risk profile for PD.
Functional anatomy of the forelimb in Promegantereon* ogygia (Felidae, Machairodontinae, Smilodontini) from the Late Miocene of Spain and the origins of the sabre‐toothed felid model
Authors: Salesa Manuel J. , Antón Mauricio , Turner Alan , Morales Jorge 
Published: December 2009

AbstractWe examine the functional anatomy of the forelimb in the primitive sabre‐toothed cat Promegantereon ogygia in comparison with that of the extant pantherins, other felids and canids. The study reveals that this early machairodontine had already developed strong forelimbs and a short and robust thumb, a combination that probably allowed P. ogygia to exert relatively greater forces than extant pantherins. These features can be clearly related to the evolution of the sabre‐toothed cat hunting method, in which the rapid killing of prey was achieved with a precise canine shear‐bite to the throat. In this early sabre‐toothed cat from the Late Miocene, the strong forelimbs and thumb were adapted to achieve the rapid immobilization of prey, thus decreasing the risk of injury and minimizing energy expenditure. We suggest that these were the major evolutionary pressures that led to the appearance of the sabre‐toothed cat model from the primitive forms of the Middle Miocene, rather than the hunting of very large prey, although these adaptations reached their highest development in the more advanced sabre‐toothed cats of the Plio‐Pleistocene, such as Smilodon and Homotherium. Although having very different body proportions, these later animals developed such extremely powerful forelimbs that they were probably able to capture relatively larger prey than extant pantherins.
Prediction equations for human thoracic and lumbar vertebral morphometry
Authors: Kunkel Maria E. , Schmidt Hendrik , Wilke Hans‐Joachim 
Published: December 2009

AbstractStatistical correlations between anatomical dimensions of human vertebral structures have indicated a potential for the prediction of vertebral morphometry, which could be applied to the creation of simplified geometrical models of the spine excluding the need for preliminary processing of medical images. The aim of this study was to perform linear and nonlinear regressions with published anatomical data to generate prediction equations for 20 vertebral parameters of the human thoracic and lumbar spine as a function of only one given parameter that was measured by X‐ray. Each parameter was considered individually as a potential predictor variable in terms of its correlation with all of the other parameters, together with the readiness with which lateral X‐rays could be obtained. Based on this, the parameter vertebral body height posterior was chosen and the statistical analyses described here are related to this parameter. Our linear, exponential and logarithmic regressions provided significant predictions of anterior vertebral structures. However, third‐order polynomial prediction equations allowed an improvement on these predictions (P‐values < 0.001), e.g. endplates and spinal canal (R2, 0.970–0.995) as well as pedicle heights and the spinous process (R2, 0.811–0.882), in addition to a reasonable prediction of the posterior vertebral structures, which have shown a low or no correlation in previous studies, e.g. pedicle inclination and transverse process (R2, 0.514–0.693) (anova). Comparisons of the theoretical predictions with two other sets of experimental data indicated that the predictions generally agree well with the experimental data. A time‐efficient approach for obtaining anatomical data for the description of human thoracic and lumbar geometry was provided by this method, which requires the measurement of only one parameter per vertebra (vertebral body height posterior) from a lateral X‐ray and the set of developed prediction equations. Vertebral models based on this type of parameterized geometry could be used in biomechanical studies that require geometry variation, such as in spinal deformations, including scoliosis.
Watching television in later life: a deeper understanding of TV viewing in the homes of old people and in geriatric care contexts
Authors: Östlund Britt 
Published: December 2009

Scand J Caring Sci; 2010; 24; 233–243 Watching television in later life: a deeper understanding of TV viewing in the homes of old people and in geriatric care contextsA secret among staff at nursing homes is that they are often ambivalent about old residents spending more time in watching TV as it is a common cultural perception that it makes the viewer passive. The purpose of this paper is to highlight the importance of reflecting on the TV viewing habits that old people bring with them when they move into geriatric care. The findings are based on a study involving qualitative interviews and observations in two nursing home settings – urban and rural – of 20 persons between 82 and 100 years of age. The results confirm that TV viewing is far from a passive activity. Instead, it contributes to structuring daily life, to satisfying old peoples’ needs for reflection and contemplation and to remain socially integrated. As such, TV viewing makes a significant contribution to their capacity to cope with disengagement in old age and can be used as a way of promoting communication and well‐being in geriatric care.
The meaning of a consultation with the diabetes nurse specialist
Authors: Edwall Lise‐Lotte , Danielson Ella , Öhrn Ingbritt 
Published: December 2009

Scand J Caring Sci; 2010; 24; 341–348 The meaning of a consultation with the diabetes nurse specialistObjective: The aim of this study was to elucidate the essential meaning of a consultation between diabetes nurse specialists and patients to gain a deeper understanding of the patients’ experiences.Methods: Twenty patients with type 2 diabetes were interviewed about their experience of a consultation at an annual check‐up with the diabetes nurse specialist. A phenomenological hermeneutic method was used in the analysis and interpretation of the text.Results: The patient’s experience of a consultation was interpreted as manifestation of hold on the disease control. This means a safeguard to continue daily life shown in the four themes being controlled, feeling exposed, feeling comfortable, and feeling prepared.Conclusion: The patients’ experiences of a consultation with the diabetes nurse specialist became the basis for a health maintenance process in dealing with critical health–disease aspects.Implications to practice: In a consultation, professionals have to take into account the potential emotional turbulence that disease progression can mean to a patient. Diabetes care implies patient dependence on support to avoid a potential self‐management insufficiency and call attention to professionals’ time for listening to patients’ perceptions.
Morphology and ultrastructure of epilithic versus cryptic, microbial growth in lower Cambrian phosphorites from the Montagne Noire, France
Authors: ÁLVARO J. J. , CLAUSEN S. 
Published: December 2009

AbstractThe lower Cambrian grainy phosphorites of the northern Montagne Noire occur interbedded with grey to black, laminated to massive shales and limestones deposited along the edge of a continental shelf, associated with slope‐related facies and unstable substrates. The concentration of phosphate took place by repeated alternations of low sedimentation rates and condensation (hardgrounds), in situ early‐diagenetic precipitation of fluorapatite, winnowing and polyphase reworking of previously phosphatized skeletons and hardground‐derived clasts. The succession of repeated cycles of sedimentation, phosphate concentration, and reworking led to multi‐event phosphate deposits rich in allochthonous particles. Phosphogenesis was primarily mediated by microbial activity, which is evidenced by the abundance of phosphatized putative microbial remains. These occur as smooth and segmented filaments, sheaths, and ovoid‐shaped coccoids. These simple morphologies commonly form composite frameworks as a result of their aggregation and entanglement, leading to the record of biofilms, microbial mats, and complex networks. These infested the calcitic skeletonized microfossils that littered the substrate. Microbial activity evidences epilithic (anisotropic coatings on skeletons), euendolithic (perforating skeletal walls), and cryptoendolithic (lining inter‐ and intraparticulate pores) strategies, the latter dominated by bundles of filaments and globular clusters that grew along the cavities of helcionellids and hyoliths. According to their epilithic versus cryptic strategies, microbial populations that penetrated and dwelled inside hard skeletal substrates show different network and colonial morphologies. These early Cambrian shell concentrations were the loci of a stepwise colonization made by saprophytic to mutualistic, cyanobacterial–fungal consortia. Their euendolithic and cryptoendolithic ecological niches provided microbial refugia to manage the grazing impact mainly led by metazoans.
Circannual pupation rhythm in the varied carpet beetle Anthrenus verbasci under different nutrient conditions
Authors: MIYAZAKI Yosuke , NISIMURA Tomoyosi , NUMATA Hideharu 
Published: December 2009

Abstract Anthrenus verbasci pupates in spring and the timing of pupation is controlled by a circannual rhythm. Although A. verbasci is considered to be a univoltine species in Japan, it is assumed that larval development in its natural habitats, including bird nests, varies with nutrient availability, and that the life cycle often takes two or more years to complete. In the present study, larval development and pupation times were compared under constant and outdoor conditions in larvae provided a diet of either high‐nutrient bonito powder or low‐nutrient pigeon feathers. Although a circannual pupation rhythm was observed irrespective of the diet used, larval development was slower on feathers than on bonito powder. The pupation times on feathers varied over three years or more under both constant and outdoor conditions. Under outdoor conditions, larvae grown on feathers needed three years to approach the weight gained within a year by larvae grown on bonito powder. It is considered that life cycle length in A. verbasci is often two years or more in nutritionally unstable natural habitats, and that this species has probably evolved a circannual rhythm as a seasonal adaptation to nutrient‐poor environments.
How City Dwellers Affect Their Resource Hinterland
Authors: Lenzen Manfred , Peters Greg M. 
Published: December 2009

SummaryThis article links databases on household consumption, industrial production, economic turnover, employment, water use, and greenhouse gas emissions into a spatially explicit model. The causal sequence starts with households demanding a certain consumer basket. This demand requires production in a complex supply‐chain network of interdependent industry sectors. Even though the household may be confined to a particular geographical location, say a dwelling in a city, the industries producing the indirect inputs for the commodities that the household demands will be dispersed all over Australia and probably beyond. Industrial production represents local points of economic activity, employment, water use, and emissions that have local economic, social, and environmental impacts. The consumer basket of a typical household is followed in Australia's two largest cities—Sydney and Melbourne—along its upstream supply chains and to numerous production sites within Australia. The spatial spread is described by means of a detailed regional interindustry model. Through industry‐specific emissions profiles, industrial production is then translated into local impacts. We show that annually a typical household is responsible for producing approximately 80 tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions, uses around 3 million liters of water, causes about A$140,000 to circulate in the wider economy, and provides labor worth just under three full‐time employment‐years. We also introduce maps that visually demonstrate how a very localized household affects the environment across an entire continent. Our model is unprecedented in its spatial and sectoral detail, at least for Australia.
The Effect of Denture Cleansing Solutions on the Retention of Pink Locator Attachments: An in Vitro Study
Authors: Nguyen Caroline Tram , Masri Radi , Driscoll Carl F. , Romberg Elaine 
Published: December 2009

Abstract Purpose: To evaluate the changes in retention of pink Locator attachments after exposure to various denture cleansers. Materials and Methods: Six groups (20 pairs each) of pink Locator attachments (3.0 lb. Light Retention replacement patrix attachments) were soaked for the equivalent of 6 months of clinical use in the following solutions: Water (control), Polident Regular, Efferdent, 6.15% sodium hypochlorite (NaOCL, 1:10 dilution), Polident Overnight, and Cool Mint Listerine mouthwash. A universal testing machine set at a crosshead speed of 2 in/min was used to perform one pull. The peak load‐to‐dislodgement was recorded to reflect changes in the retention of the Locator attachments after soaking. Data were analyzed by one‐way ANOVA followed by Tukey's Honestly Significant Difference test. A p≤ 0.05 was considered significant. Results: Denture cleansing solutions significantly affected the retentive values of pink Locator attachments (F = 344.3, p≤ 0.0001). Cool Mint Listerine mouthwash increased the retentive values of the attachments (51.10 ± 5.31 N) when compared to the control group (45.25 ± 3.49 N). There was no significant difference in the retentive values of attachments soaked in Polident Regular or Polident Overnight when compared to the control group. Efferdent caused a small reduction in the retentive values (40.81 ± 2.56 N) and most importantly, diluted NaOCl caused a large reduction in the retentive values (7.83 ± 2.50 N) of pink Locator attachments. In addition, Cool Mint Listerine mouthwash caused blue discoloration of the Locator attachments, and NaOCl caused whitening and softening of the pink Locator attachments. Conclusion: Cool Mint Listerine and Efferdent's small effect on the retentive values of the Locators might be clinically unimportant; however, NaOCl caused a large reduction in the retentive values of the attachments. Because of their effect on retentive values and on the color of the Locator attachments, NaOCl and Cool Mint Listerine are not recommended. These results should be interpreted clinically with caution, realizing that different results may be obtained when fatigue stress during function and multiple pulls (in vivo) are combined with the chemical action of denture cleansers.