bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Communication patterns in antenatal diabetes care: an explorative and descriptive study of midwife‐led consultations
Authors: Risa Christina F , Lidén Eva , Friberg Febe 
Published: April 2011

Aim.  To explore and describe the verbal communication patterns in antenatal consultations between pregnant women with diabetes and their midwives.Background.  Few studies have focused on the efficacy of communication during consultations between midwives and their clients, especially in a high‐risk context.Design.  An explorative and descriptive study of antenatal consultations between midwives and their clients at four antenatal diabetes clinics in Norway.Methods.  Thematic analysis was used to study verbal communication in ten woman–midwife consultations that were audio recorded and transcribed. The analysis was based on the following questions: (1) who talks and to what degree? (2) What are the topics discussed and who is the initiator? and (3) What characterises the dialogue in the consultations?Results.  The results suggest that there was a predominantly medical focus in the consultations, with the communication style characterised by a combination of informal and formal talk. The consultations were structured into three phases, each with its own conversation style.Conclusions.  The communication patterns adopted appeared to limit the opportunities of mothers‐to‐be to express freely any concerns. It is suggested that a larger degree of openness to the emotional and psychological aspects of pregnancy should be incorporated into the consultations. To take advantage of the different competencies in this multidisciplinary diabetes team, the contribution of the midwife to this specialised antenatal care should be both recognised and defined.Relevance to clinical practice.  Awareness of each midwife’s own communication style, as well as their attentiveness to a woman’s implicit concerns, is required for the satisfactory support and understanding of the individual pregnant woman. It is necessary to support midwives in the continuous development of their communication skills, a task that should be included as part of midwifery education and undertaken by practitioners in the clinical environment.
Analysis of RNA localization and metabolism in single live bacterial cells: achievements and challenges
Authors: Broude Natalia E. 
Published: April 2011

SummaryStudies of gene expression at the single cell level in live bacterial cells represent a new and fertile area of research providing real‐time, spatially specified information that cannot be obtained by techniques relying on large cell populations. Before recently, most single‐cell studies have been concerned with gene expression at the protein level and explored the spatiotemporal localization and dynamics of different bacterial proteins. However, to fully understand the complex process of gene expression, it is necessary to visualize and quantify RNA molecules in the cellular environment. The first studies analysing the kinetics of RNA transcription and the distribution of RNA in single bacterial cells in real time have recently been reported. Here, I discuss the methods allowing RNA detection in living bacterial cells, the results on RNA kinetics and RNA localization, and the challenges for future research in this area.
What is the proximate cause for size‐dependent ecophysiological differences in vascular epiphytes?
Authors: Zotz G. , Schmidt G. , Mikona C. 
Published: April 2011

AbstractSize‐related variation in physiological parameters as diverse as photosynthetic capacity, abscisic acid relationships or the relative water deficit at stomatal closure have been reported for a large number of vascular epiphytes, but the proximate mechanism behind these observations has not been identified. We test four possible reasons for size‐related changes in photosynthetic capacity, leaf‐N content and specific leaf area: (i) plant size itself, (ii) plant age or developmental stage, (iii) previous nutrition, or (iv) previous water regime. A suite of study species and approaches were used: a ‘natural experiment’ with the orchid Polystachya foliosa; an experimental field study with another orchid, Dimerandra emarginata; and a study under controlled conditions with the tank bromeliad, Vriesea sanguinolenta. Neither size, age nor differences in water supply caused differences in leaf N and photosynthetic capacity, while low supply of nutrients yielded, and high supply with nutrients completely removed, size‐related trends. The observed size‐related trends are thus a consequence of in situ differences in nutrient acquisition. Arguably, the improved nutrient status of larger plants under natural conditions results from larger tanks, holding moisture for increasingly longer intervals, which allows longer periods of decomposition of detritus and of nutrient uptake.
Salicylic acid negatively affects the response to salt stress in pea plants
Authors: Barba‐Espín G. , Clemente‐Moreno M. J. , Álvarez S. , García‐Legaz M. F. , Hernández J. A. , Díaz‐Vivancos P. 
Published: April 2011

AbstractWe studied the effect of salicylic acid (SA) treatment on the response of pea plants to salinity. Sodium chloride (NaCl)‐induced damage to leaves was increased by SA, which was correlated with a reduction in plant growth. The content of reduced ascorbate and glutathione in leaves of salt‐treated plants increased in response to SA, although accumulation of the respective oxidised forms occurred. An increase in hydrogen peroxide also occurred in leaves of salt‐exposed plants treated with SA. In the absence of NaCl, SA increased ascorbate peroxidase (APX; 100 μm) and glutathione‐S transferase (GST; 50 μm) activities and increased catalase (CAT) activity in a concentration‐dependent manner. Salinity decreased glutathione reductase (GR) activity, but increased GST and CAT activity. In salt‐stressed plants, SA also produced changes in antioxidative enzymes: 100 μm SA decreased APX but increased GST. Finally, a concentration‐dependent increase in superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity was induced by SA treatment in salt‐stressed plants. Induction of PR‐1b was observed in NaCl‐stressed plants treated with SA. The treatment with SA, as well as the interaction between salinity and SA treatment, had a significant effect on PsMAPK3 expression. The expression of PsMAPK3 was not altered by 70 mm NaCl, but was statistically higher in the absence than in the presence of SA. Overall, the results show that SA treatment negatively affected the response of pea plants to NaCl, and this response correlated with an imbalance in antioxidant metabolism. The data also show that SA treatment could enhance the resistance of salt‐stressed plants to possible opportunistic pathogen attack, as suggested by increased PR‐1b gene expression.
P2 receptor antagonists prevent synaptic failure and extracellular signal‐regulated kinase1/2 activation induced by oxygen and glucose deprivation in rat CA1 hippocampus in vitro
Authors: Traini Chiara , Pedata Felicita , Cipriani Sara , Mello Tommaso , Galli Andrea , Giovannini Maria Grazia , Cerbai Francesca , Volpini Rosaria , Cristalli Gloria , Pugliese Anna Maria 
Published: April 2011

AbstractTo investigate the role of purinergic P2 receptors under ischemia, we studied the effect of P2 receptor antagonists on synaptic transmission and mitogen‐activated protein kinase (MAPK) activation under oxygen and glucose deprivation (OGD) in rat hippocampal slices. The effect of the P2 antagonists pyridoxalphosphate‐6‐azophenyl‐2′,4′‐disulfonate (PPADS, unselective, 30 μm), N 6‐methyl‐2′‐deoxyadenosine‐3′,5′‐bisphosphate (MRS2179, selective for P2Y1 receptor, 10 μm), Brilliant Blue G (BBG, selective for P2X7 receptor, 1 μm), and 5‐[[[(3‐phenoxyphenyl)methyl][(1S)‐1,2,3,4‐tetrahydro‐1‐naphthalenyl]amino]carbonyl]‐1,2,4‐benzenetricarboxylic acid (A‐317491, selective for P2X3 receptor, 10 μm), and of the newly synthesized P2X3 receptor antagonists 2‐amino‐9‐(5‐iodo‐2‐isopropyl‐4‐methoxybenzyl)adenine (PX21, 1 μm) and 2‐amino‐9‐(5‐iodo‐2‐isopropyl‐4‐methoxybenzyl)‐N 6‐methyladenine (PX24, 1 μm), on the depression of field excitatory postsynaptic potentials (fEPSPs) and anoxic depolarization (AD) elicited by 7 min of OGD were evaluated. All antagonists significantly prevented these effects. The extent of CA1 cell injury was assessed 3 h after the end of 7 min of OGD by propidium iodide staining. Substantial CA1 pyramidal neuronal damage, detected in untreated slices exposed to OGD injury, was significantly prevented by PPADS (30 μm), MRS2179 (10 μm), and BBG (1 μm). Western blot analysis showed that, 10 min after the end of the 7 min of OGD, extracellular signal‐regulated kinase (ERK)1/2 MAPK activation was significantly increased. MRS2179, BBG, PPADS and A‐317491 significantly counteracted ERK1/2 activation. Hippocampal slices incubated with the ERK1/2 inhibitors 1,4‐diamino‐2,3‐dicyano‐1,4‐bis(2‐aminophenylthio)butadiene (U0126, 10 μm) and α‐[amino[(4‐aminophenyl)thio]methylene]‐2‐(trifluoromethyl) benzeneacetonitrile (SL327, 10 μm) showed significant fEPSP recovery after OGD and delayed AD, supporting the involvement of ERK1/2 in neuronal damage induced by OGD. These results indicate that subtypes of hippocampal P2 purinergic receptors have a harmful effect on neurotransmission in the CA1 hippocampus by participating in AD appearance and activation of ERK1/2.
Predicted effect of climate change on the invasibility and distribution of the Western corn root‐worm
Authors: Aragón Pedro , Lobo Jorge M. 
Published: April 2011

Insect pests, biological invasions and climate change are considered to represent major threats to biodiversity, ecosystem functioning, agriculture and forestry. Deriving hypothesis of contemporary and/or future potential distributions of insect pests and invasive species is becoming an important tool for predicting the spatial structure of potential threats.
The western corn rootworm (WCR) Diabrotica virgifera virgifera LeConte is a pest of maize in North America that has invaded Europe in recent years, resulting in economic costs in terms of maize yields in both continents. The present study aimed to estimate the dynamics of potential areas of invasion by the WCR under a climate change scenario in the Northern Hemisphere. The areas at risk under this scenario were assessed by comparing, using complementary approaches, the spatial projections of current and future areas of climatic favourability of the WCR. Spatial hypothesis were generated with respect to the presence records in the native range of the WCR and physiological thresholds from previous empirical studies.
We used a previously developed protocol specifically designed to estimate the climatic favourability of the WCR. We selected the most biologically relevant climatic predictors and then used multidimensional envelope (MDE) and Mahalanobis distances (MD) approaches to derive potential distributions for current and future climatic conditions.
The results obtained showed a northward advancement of the upper physiological limit as a result of climate change, which might increase the strength of outbreaks at higher latitudes. In addition, both MDE and MD outputs predict the stability of climatic favourability for the WCR in the core of the already invaded area in Europe, which suggests that this zone would continue to experience damage from this pest in Europe.
Management, Organizational Justice and Emotional Exhaustion among Chinese Migrant Workers: Evidence from two Manufacturing Firms
Authors: Frenkel Stephen J. , Li Min , Restubog Simon Lloyd D. 
Published: April 2011

AbstractThis article explores how Human Resource (HR) policies and practices influence employee perceptions of organizational justice, which in turn impacts employee emotions and feelings of emotional exhaustion. Using structural equation modelling and based on employee survey data drawn from two manufacturing organizations, we find that a strong HR system — perceived by workers as distinctive, attractive and consistently implemented — fosters perceptions of distributive, procedural and interactive justice. However, only distributive injustice leads to negative emotions and emotional exhaustion. This is explained by reference to the cultural and institutional context (China), status (migrant) and type of workers (semi‐skilled, manual) included in the study. We discuss the theoretical and practical implications that arise from these findings.
Association of incompleteness of the anterior part of the circle of Willis with the occurrence of lacunes in the basal ganglia
Authors: Miyazawa N. , Shinohara T. , Yamagata Z. 
Published: April 2011

Background and purpose:  This study investigated whether incompleteness of the anterior part of the circle of Willis affects the occurrence of lacunes in the basal ganglia.Methods:  One thousand and seventy‐seven healthy individuals examined by magnetic resonance (MR) imaging and MR angiography were divided into eight subgroups according to our new classification.Results:  Logistic regression analysis demonstrated that healthy individuals with incompleteness of the anterior circle of Willis had significantly higher frequency of lacunes [odds ratio (OR): 2.121, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.477–3.108; or OR: 2.46, 95% CI: 1.377–4.384 in cases without or with fetal type posterior communicating artery, respectively] and higher numbers of lacunes (P < 0.001 or P < 0.001 in cases without or with fetal type posterior communicating artery, respectively) compared to patients with complete circle of Willis.Conclusions:  Incompleteness of the anterior part of the circle of Willis significantly affected the occurrence of lacunes.
Masked affective stimuli moderate task difficulty effects on effort‐related cardiovascular response
Authors: Silvestrini Nicolas , Gendolla Guido H. E. 
Published: April 2011

AbstractThis experiment investigated the combined effect of masked affective stimuli and task difficulty on effort‐related cardiovascular response. Cardiovascular reactivity (ICG, blood pressure) was recorded during a baseline period and performance of an easy or difficult attention task in which participants were exposed to masked sad vs. happy facial expressions. As expected, participants in the sad‐faces/easy and happy‐faces/difficult conditions showed stronger sympathetic nervous system discharge to the heart and vasculature—shorter preejection period, higher systolic blood pressure—indicating more effort than participants in the sad‐faces/difficult and happy‐faces/easy conditions. Total peripheral resistance reacted similarly as preejection period and systolic blood pressure. The findings are compatible with the effects of consciously experienced affect on effort‐related cardiovascular response.
A comparison of soil and water properties in organic and conventional farming systems in England
Authors: Hathaway‐Jenkins L. J. , Sakrabani R. , Pearce B. , Whitmore A. P. , Godwin R. J. 
Published: April 2011

AbstractOrganic farming and improvements to agricultural sustainability are often seen as synonymous. However, an extensive European review demonstrated that in practice this is not always true. This study aims to compare the status of soil and water properties between separate fields managed in either an organic or a conventional manner. Soil samples were collected from 16 pairs of farms, throughout England, with both arable and grass fields within each pair on similar soil type. Chemical (nutrients, pesticides, herbicides) and physical (aggregate stability, field capacity, shear strength, soil organic matter, infiltration rates) soil properties were measured in four main soil texture classes in organic and conventional fields. The physical soil properties varied significantly between the different classes of texture and land use. The heavier textured soils have significantly higher soil organic carbon (SOC), aggregate stability and shear strength. The coarse‐textured soils have significantly lower field capacity moisture contents. The grassland has a significantly higher level of SOC, field capacity moisture content, aggregate stability and soil shear strength. However, there were no significant differences between organic and conventional treatments for any of the soil physical properties measured. There were fewer traces of agrochemicals in the soil water from the organic fields compared with the conventionally managed fields. The conventional arable fields had higher levels of total inorganic nitrogen than the other land uses and treatments. There was evidence to show that infiltration rates were significantly higher on organically managed grassland soils (7.6 mm/h) than conventionally managed grassland (2.5 mm/h) with lower stocking rates. The results suggest that improved grassland management, whether organic or conventional, could reduce predicted runoff by 28%.
Role of TNF‐α in virus‐induced airway hyperresponsiveness and neuronal M2 muscarinic receptor dysfunction
Authors: Nie Zhenying , Scott Gregory D , Weis Patrick D , Itakura Asako , Fryer Allison D , Jacoby David B 
Published: April 2011

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE Infections with respiratory viruses induce exacerbations of asthma, increase acetylcholine release and potentiate vagally mediated bronchoconstriction by blocking inhibitory M2 muscarinic receptors on parasympathetic neurons. Here we test whether virus‐induced M2 receptor dysfunction and airway hyperresponsiveness are tumour necrosis factor‐alpha (TNF‐α) dependent.EXPERIMENTAL APPROACH Guinea pigs were pretreated with etanercept or phosphate‐buffered saline 24 h before intranasal infection with parainfluenza. Four days later, pulmonary inflation pressure, heart rate and blood pressure were measured. M2 receptor function was assessed by the potentiation by gallamine (an M2 receptor antagonist) of bronchoconstriction caused by electrical stimulation of the vagus nerves and measured as increased pulmonary inflation pressure. Human airway epithelial cells were infected with influenza and TNF‐α concentration in supernatant was measured before supernatant was applied to human neuroblastoma cells. M2 receptor expression in these neuroblastoma cells was measured by qRT‐PCR.KEY RESULTS Influenza‐infected animals were hyperresponsive to vagal stimulation but not to intravenous ACh. Gallamine did not potentiate vagally induced bronchoconstriction in virus‐infected animals, indicating M2 receptor dysfunction. Etanercept prevented virus‐induced airway hyperresponsiveness and M2 receptor dysfunction, without changing lung viral titres. Etanercept caused a non‐significant decrease in total cells, macrophages and neutrophils in bronchoalveolar lavage. Influenza infection significantly increased TNF‐α release from isolated epithelial cells, sufficient to decrease M2 receptors in neuroblastoma cells. This ability of supernatants from infected epithelial cells to inhibit M2 receptor expression was blocked by etanercept.CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS TNF‐α is a key mediator of virus‐induced M2 muscarinic receptor dysfunction and airway hyperresponsiveness.
Hydrophobic anions potently and uncompetitively antagonize GABAA receptor function in the absence of a conventional binding site
Authors: Chisari M , Wu K , Zorumski CF , Mennerick S 
Published: April 2011

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE A ‘lock‐and‐key’ binding site typically accounts for the effect of receptor antagonists. However, sulphated neurosteroids are potent non‐competitive antagonists of GABAA receptors without a clear structure–activity relationship. To gain new insights, we tested two structurally unrelated hydrophobic anions with superficially similar properties to sulphated neurosteroids.EXPERIMENTAL APPROACH We used voltage‐clamp techniques in Xenopus oocytes and hippocampal neurons to characterize dipicrylamine (DPA) and tetraphenylborate (TPB), compounds previously used to probe membrane structure and voltage‐gated ion channel function.KEY RESULTS Both DPA and TPB potently antagonized GABAA receptors. DPA exhibited an IC50 near 60 nM at half‐maximal GABA concentration and antagonism with features indistinguishable from pregnenolone sulphate antagonism, including sensitivity to a point mutation in transmembrane domain 2 of the α1 subunit. Bovine serum albumin, which scavenges free membrane‐associated DPA, accelerated both capacitance offset and antagonism washout. Membrane interactions and antagonism were explored using the voltage‐dependent movement of DPA between membrane leaflets. Washout of DPA antagonism was strongly voltage‐dependent, paralleling DPA membrane loss, although steady‐state antagonism lacked voltage dependence. At antagonist concentrations, DPA failed to affect inhibitory post‐synaptic current (IPSC) amplitude or decay, but DPA accelerated pharmacologically prolonged IPSCs.CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS Neurosteroid‐like GABAA receptor antagonism appears to lacks a conventional binding site. These features highlight key roles of membrane interactions in antagonism. Because its membrane mobility can be controlled, DPA may be a useful probe of GABAA receptors, but its effects on excitability via GABAA receptors raise caveats for its use in monitoring neuronal activity.
Negative Impact of Episodic Migraine on a University Population: Quality of Life, Functional Impairment, and Comorbid Psychiatric Symptoms
Authors: Smitherman Todd A. , McDermott Michael J. , Buchanan Erin M. 
Published: April 2011

(Headache 2011;51:581‐589)Background.— Migraine is associated with significant negative impact, including reduced quality of life, impaired functioning, and comorbid psychiatric disorders. However, the impact of migraine on university students is understudied, despite their high prevalence of migraine and psychiatric disorders and their frequent use in research studies.Objectives.— The aim of this cross‐sectional study was to evaluate the impact of migraine among college students on quality of life, functional impairment, and comorbid psychiatric symptoms.Methods.— Three hundred and ninety‐one students (76.73% female, mean age = 19.43 ± 2.80 years) completed well‐validated measures of migraine and migraine‐related disability, quality of life, and comorbid psychiatric symptoms. They also quantified impairment in school attendance and home functioning and reported the number of medical visits during the preceding 3 months.Results.— One hundred and one (25.83%) met conservative screening criteria for episodic migraine; their mean score on the Migraine Disability Assessment Questionnaire was 9.98 ± 12.10. Compared to those not screening positive for migraine, the migraine‐positive group reported reduced quality of life on 5 of 6 domains, as well as a higher frequency of missed school days (2.74 vs 1.36), impaired functioning at home (2.84 vs 1.21 days), and medical visits (1.86 vs 0.95). They also reported more symptoms of both depression and anxiety than controls, although differences in functional impairment remained after controlling for these comorbid psychiatric symptoms. These differences were highly statistically significant and corroborated by evidence of clinically significant impairment; the corresponding effect sizes were modest but non‐trivial.Conclusions.— Episodic migraine is associated with negative impact in numerous domains among university students. These findings replicate and extend those of studies on other samples and have implications for future research studies with this population.