bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Parental discipline behaviours and beliefs about their child: associations with child internalizing and mediation relationships
Authors: Laskey B. J. , Cartwright‐Hatton S. 
Published: June 2009

AbstractIntroduction  Internalizing disorders of childhood are a common and disabling problem, with sufferers at increased risk of subsequent psychiatric morbidity. Several studies have found associations between parenting styles and children's internalizing, although few have considered the role of parental discipline. Parental discipline style may exert an effect on children's internalizing symptoms. Anxiety and depression are reliably found to run in families and parental anxiety has been shown to effect parenting behaviour. This study set out to examine the links between parental anxiety, parental discipline style and child internalizing symptoms.Method  Eighty‐eight parents of children aged 4–10 years were recruited through primary schools. All parents completed questionnaires including measures relating to: adult anxiety (State‐Trait Anxiety Inventory – Trait version, Penn State Worry Questionnaire), parental depression (Beck Depression Inventory – Fastscreen), parental discipline (The Parenting Scale), parenting‐related attributions (Parenting Attitudes, Beliefs and Cognitions Scale) and child psychological morbidity (Child Behaviour Checklist 4–18 version).Results  Significant correlations were found between both parental anxiety and child internalizing symptoms with ineffective discipline and negative beliefs about parenting. Particularly strong correlations were found between parental anxiety and child internalizing symptoms with harsh discipline. Parents of anxious/withdrawn children were more likely to hold negative beliefs about their child. The link between parental anxiety and child internalizing symptoms was mediated by harsh discipline. The link between parental anxiety and harsh discipline was mediated by parental beliefs about the child.Conclusion  Discipline style may be an important factor in the relationship between parent anxiety and child internalizing symptoms.
Airway covering during bed‐sharing
Authors: Ball H. 
Published: June 2009

AbstractBackground  Parent–infant bed‐sharing is a common practice in Western post‐industrial nations with up to 50% of infants sleeping with their parents at some point during early infancy. However, researchers have claimed that infants may be at risk of suffocation or sudden infant death syndrome related to airway covering or compression in the bed‐sharing environment. To further understand the role of airway covering and compression in creating risks for bed‐sharing infants, we report here on a sleep‐lab trial of two infant sleep conditions.Methods  In a sleep‐lab environment 20 infants aged 2–3 months old slept in their parents' bed, and in a cot by the bed, on adjacent nights. Infants' oxygen saturation and heart rate were monitored physiologically while infant and parental behaviours were recorded via ceiling‐mounted infra‐red cameras. Infants served as their own controls. Continuous 8‐h recordings were obtained for covering of infant external airways, levels of infant oxygen saturation, infant heart rate, evidence of parental compression/overlying of infant, circumstances leading up to potential infant airway obstruction, and parental awareness of and responses to infant airway covering.Results  The majority of infants (14/20) spent some part of the bed night with their airways (both mouth and nose) covered, compared with 2/20 on the cot night; however, no consistent effect on either oxygen saturation levels or heart rate was revealed, even during prolonged bouts of airway covering. All cases of airway covering were initiated by parents; 70% were terminated by parents, the remainder by infants. Seven bouts of potential compression were observed with parental limbs resting across infant bodies for lengthy periods, however, in only two cases was the full weight of a parental limb resting on an infant, both events lasting less than 15 s, both being terminated by infant movement.Conclusion  Although numerous authors have suggested that bed‐sharing infants face risks because of airway covering by bed‐clothes or parental bodies, the present trial does not lend support to this hypothesis.
Recognition and referral of girls with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder: case vignette study
Authors: Groenewald C. , Emond A. , Sayal K. 
Published: June 2009

AbstractBackground  Compared with boys, girls with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) are under‐recognized. Parents commonly discuss concerns with teachers, who play an important role in the recognition and referral of children with ADHD. We investigated whether the predominating subtype of symptomatology influences teacher recognition of affected girls.Methods  A total of 212 teachers from 40 randomly selected primary schools in England participated in a postal questionnaire study. The questionnaire consisted of a case vignette (based on DSM‐IV criteria) describing a girl with either combined or predominantly inattentive subtype ADHD. Each school received an equal number of each type of vignette for distribution. Further questions elicited teachers' conceptualization of the girl's difficulties and need for specialist referral, their views on treatment modalities and demographic data.Results  Most (98%) teachers recognized the presence of a problem but mainly conceptualized the girl's behaviour as reflecting attentional (89%) or emotional (62%) difficulties. Teachers were less likely to correctly identify a girl with inattentive than combined subtype ADHD (14% vs. 43%) or recommend clinical referral (50% vs. 59%) for her. Few (15%) teachers thought that medication might be helpful for a girl meeting diagnostic criteria for ADHD.Conclusions  Teachers are able to recognize ADHD‐related behaviours and impairments but conceptualize these as reflecting attentional or emotional difficulties rather than as relating to a disorder (ADHD). Teachers' conceptualization of ADHD and views about medication are important factors that could affect accurate recognition and referral. Improving teachers' knowledge about ADHD, especially the inattentive subtype, could assist in tackling gender‐related barriers to care.
Time course of serum inhibitory activity for facilitated allergen–IgE binding during bee venom immunotherapy in children
Authors: Varga E‐M , Francis J. N. , Zach M. S. , Klunker S. , Aberer W. , Durham S. R. 
Published: June 2009

SummaryBackground
Immunotherapy for bee venom allergy is effective and provides long‐term protection. Venom‐specific IgG4 levels are increased but with no correlation with clinical improvement. Following grass pollen immunotherapy, elevation of antigen‐specific IgG4 is accompanied by increases in IgG‐dependent serum inhibitory activity for IgE‐facilitated binding of allergen–IgE complexes to B cells. As this ‘functional’ assay of inhibitory antibodies may be more predictive of clinical efficacy, we investigated the time course of serum inhibitory activity for IgE‐facilitated antigen binding during venom immunotherapy (VIT) in children and following 2 years of VIT withdrawal.Methods
Ten bee venom‐allergic children (mean age: 9.3 years; m/f, 7/3) with moderate to severe allergic reactions to bee stings received VIT. A separate group of seven children (mean age: 14 years; m/f, 5/2) were investigated 2 years after VIT withdrawal. Ten age‐ and gender‐matched children served as non‐allergic controls. Allergen‐specific serum IgG4 and IgE levels were measured by ELISA at baseline, after 2 years of VIT and 2 years after VIT withdrawal. Serum inhibitory activity was assessed using the facilitated‐allergen binding (FAB) assay.Results
Sera obtained during VIT significantly inhibited allergen–IgE binding to B‐cells (pre‐treatment=104±23%; 2 years=46±15%; P<0.001) when compared with sera obtained after treatment withdrawal and sera from normal controls. In parallel to FAB inhibition during VIT, significantly higher IgG4 levels were noted after immunotherapy (pre‐treatment=8.6±2.3 AU; 2 years=26.7±3.5 AU; P<0.001) compared with those observed after withdrawal and in the controls. In contrast, progressively lower IgE concentrations were observed compared with pre‐treatment (44±7 AU) in sera obtained after 2 years of VIT (25±5 AU; P<0.01) and 2 years following the withdrawal of VIT (10±3 AU; P<0.05).Conclusions
In contrast to grass pollen immunotherapy, the persistent decline in venom‐specific IgE levels, rather than serum inhibitory activity for FAB, may be more relevant for long‐term clinical efficacy of VIT.
Tracking predator density dependence and subterranean predation by carabid larvae on slugs using monoclonal antibodies
Authors: THOMAS R. S. , HARWOOD J. D. , GLEN D. M. , SYMONDSON W. O. C. 
Published: June 2009

Abstract.1. Subterranean carabid larvae are more numerous than surface‐active adults, yet very little is known about their ecological significance, dietary preferences or ability to regulate populations of prey species, particularly pests. Part of the reason for this is that predator–prey interactions beneath the soil are almost impossible to observe.2. Extensive field studies have shown that adult Pterostichus melanarius (Illiger) can affect the temporal and spatial dynamics of their slug prey. However, if larvae too are feeding on slugs, this could radically affect overall predator–prey dynamics.3. We tested the hypotheses that P. melanarius larvae would kill and consume two slug species, Deroceras reticulatum Müller and Arion intermedius Normand, under laboratory and semi‐field conditions, and that there would be no significant difference in rates of predation on these slug species.4. A new monoclonal antibody was developed that was capable of detecting the presence of slug proteins in the guts of P. melanarius larvae.5. Pterostichus melanarius larvae killed both A. intermedius and D. reticulatum in the laboratory, feeding to a greater extent, and growing more rapidly, on the latter. The larvae were equally effective at reducing numbers of both slug species in a crop of wheat grown in semi‐field mini plots, but predation was affected by density‐dependent intra‐specific competition amongst the beetle larvae.6. Future modelling of the dynamic interactions between carabids and slugs will need to take into account predation by larvae.
Collembola respond to aphid herbivory but not to honeydew addition
Authors: SINKA M. , JONES T. H. , HARTLEY S. E. 
Published: June 2009

Abstract.1. Euedaphic collembola alter their soil distribution in response to above‐ground aphid herbivory ofPoa annuaL. Graminae, a host grass.2. Two mechanisms potentially underpin this effect. Carbon‐rich aphid honeydew falling onto the soil surface may affect mycophagous collembola; alternatively aphid‐induced changes in root biomass may be necessary to produce changes in collembola abundance.3. When compared to a plant‐only control, aphid herbivory increased the number of collembola in the top 5 cm of soil, reduced both foliar and root biomass, and increased shoot/root ratio. Honeydew addition had no effect on collembola numbers or any recorded host‐plant parameter.4. Honeydew deposition is not responsible for the increased numbers of collembola found in the upper soil after aphid herbivory; aphid‐induced reductions in root biomass may be the most important factor explaining knock‐on effects of aphid herbivory on soil fauna.
Fenofibrate attenuates endothelial monocyte adhesion in chronic heart failure: an in vitro study
Authors: Huang W. P. , Yin W. H. , Chen J. W. , Jen H. L. , Young M. S. , Lin S. J. 
Published: June 2009

AbstractBackground  Inflammation is implicated in chronic heart failure (CHF). In this study, the potential inhibitory effect of peroxisome proliferator‐activated receptor‐α (PPARα) activator fenofibrate on monocyte adhesion in CHF patients was investigated in vitro.Materials and methods  Isolated peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) were collected from 36 patients (aged 65 ± 8 years) with symptomatic CHF and from 12 healthy control subjects. The cultured human aortic endothelial cells (HAECs) were stimulated with or without 2 ng mL−1 tumour necrosis factor‐alpha (TNF‐α) and the inhibitory effects of fenofibrate at 25, 50, 100 and 200 μM on endothelial mononuclear cell adhesion were tested. Furthermore, the HAECs were stimulated with 70% sera obtained from CHF patients and control individuals, respectively, with or without pretreatments with fenofibrate. The endothelial expression of vascular cell adhesion molecule‐1 (VCAM‐1) and intercellular adhesion molecule‐1 (ICAM‐1) was then confirmed by mRNA expression and Western blot.Results  We found that the increased adhesion of PBMCs to TNF‐α‐stimulated HAECs in CHF patients was reduced when the HAECs were pretreated with fenofibrate (31% inhibition, P = 0·0121). However, pretreatment of the isolated PBMCs collected from CHF patients with fenofibrate failed to suppress their adherence to TNF‐α‐stimulated HAECs. Furthermore, stimulation of cultured HAECs with CHF patient sera significantly increased VCAM‐1 and ICAM‐1 expression, which could also be inhibited by fenofibrate.Conclusions  The fenofibrate directly inhibits monocyte binding by TNF‐α‐activated HAECs, probably through preventing up‐regulation of cell adhesion molecules by endothelial cells in response to inflammatory stimuli. This PPARα activator may have the potential to ameliorate vascular inflammation in patients with CHF.
Sniffing out patterns of sexual dimorphism in floral scent
Authors: Ashman Tia‐Lynn 
Published: June 2009

Summary 1. A major transition in flowering plants has been the evolution of separate sexes (dioecy) from combined sexes (hermaphroditism). This transition is often, but not always, accompanied by the evolution of sexual dimorphism in attractive traits, and floral scent is no exception. 2. In this review I aim to improve our understanding of variation in sexual dimorphism in floral scent characteristics by first explicating the relevant hypotheses, and then deriving explicit predictions for the pattern of floral scent from each. 3. Next, I synthesize and qualitatively review published data on floral volatile emission rate and composition in 33 gender dimorphic species to identify emerging patterns, and evaluate these in light of predictions derived from the hypotheses. 4. Although conclusions must be viewed as preliminary, a handful of strong patterns were revealed: (1) in the majority of the species studied males emit more volatiles per flower than females, (2) in over half of the species studied the sexes differed in at least one aspect of scent composition, (3) sexual dimorphism in scent composition was less common in species with rewardless females and/or brood site pollination than those that offered nectar and/or pollen, (4) a one‐to‐one correspondence between sex differences in overall scent composition and male organ‐specific scent production is largely not found. 5. This review has highlighted gaps in our understanding of the genesis of patterns of sexual dimorphism in floral scent, and makes clear that to move the field forward we need to shift our focus from pattern to process, and this will be best achieved by simultaneously testing alternative hypotheses at the same level of analysis.
Simple quantification of blood and plasma antimicrobial capacity using spectrophotometry
Authors: Liebl Andrea L. , Martin II Lynn B. 
Published: June 2009

Summary

Ecologists are becoming increasingly interested in characterizing immunological variation among and within species. However, many of the techniques available to immunologists are not viable for use in non‐model species, which limits the resolution and progress of ecoimmunological research. Recently, an assay was developed to quantify the capacity of blood or plasma to kill microorganisms in vitro. Such assays are ideal for ecologists because they provide holistic, integrated measures of immune function with minimal sample size and equipment.
Although informative, the assay suffers from several shortcomings in its current form. Specifically, intra‐assay variation is often prohibitive, quantification of results is time consuming, sample volumes required are somewhat high (especially for small‐bodied species), and materials (e.g. Petri dishes for microbe culturing) are costly and generate excessive waste.
Here, we describe a modified version of the assay for use against Gram‐negative, Gram‐positive, and fungal microbes using spectrophotometry. This assay decreases sample processing time, reduces blood/plasma volume (to 1·5 μL), and eliminates the need to score results manually. This technique was 3× more reliable than the alternative method when using house sparrow Passer domesticus plasma and Escherichia coli.
We expect this assay will enable quantification of immune defence in a variety of contexts previously difficult to study (e.g. endangered species) because of the small volumes needed and the simplicity of the protocol. We also provide a list of pathogens that affect passerine populations as potential candidates in future studies. Anti‐microbial activity in other animal species should also be easy to characterize using our approach and the quantification of antimicrobial capacity of tissue and other body fluids should also be possible with only minor modifications of the assay.
Induced nitric oxide synthesis in the gut of Manduca sexta protects against oral infection by the bacterial pathogen Photorhabdus luminescens
Authors: Eleftherianos I. , Felföldi G. , Ffrench‐Constant R. H. , Reynolds S. E. 
Published: June 2009

AbstractInjecting the insect pathogenic bacterium Photorhabdus luminescens into the blood system of the model lepidopteran insect Manduca sexta induces nitric oxide synthase (NOS) expression in the fat body and blood cells (haemocytes), whereas following oral ingestion of bacteria NOS expression is limited to the gut. We used RNA interference to knock‐down expression of NOS throughout the insect. Preventing NOS induction in this way adversely affected the survival of orally infected insects and caused a significant increase in the number of bacteria crossing into the haemolymph. By contrast, knock‐down of NOS had no effect on the mortality rate of insects infected with P. luminescens by injection. Pharmacological inhibition of NOS decreased both nitric oxide (NO) levels in the gut wall and survival of orally infected insects, whereas elevation of gut wall NO using an NO donor increased survival of NOS silenced caterpillars. Together, our results imply that induced synthesis of NO is important in mediating insect immune defence against the pathogen by inhibiting transfer of bacteria across the gut wall.
Testicular adrenal rest tumours in boys, adolescents and adult men with congenital adrenal hyperplasia may be associated with the CYP21A2 mutation
Authors: Mouritsen Annette , Jørgensen Niels , Main Katharina M. , Schwartz Marianne , Juul Anders 
Published: June 2009

SummaryCongenital adrenal hyperplasia (CAH) is an autosomal recessive disorder with impaired function of the adrenal cortex caused by mutations in the CYP21A2 gene. Deficiency of steroid 21‐hydroxylase accounts for 80–95% of CAH cases. Testicular adrenal rest tumours (TART) may be prevalent in up to 95% of CAH adults and may already appear during childhood. Whether genotype sub‐types can account for the development of TART has not been investigated previously. We therefore investigated this by coupling clinical information of CAH patients with information of their genetic mutation. In 49 male patients (age 2.6–40.3 years) with 21‐hydroxylase deficiency, testicular ultrasound examinations were performed and CYP21A2 genotypes determined. These were grouped according to the residual 21‐hydroxylase activity: group Null (complete enzyme impairment), group A (almost complete enzyme impairment), group B (severe enzyme impairment) and group C (partial impairment). TART were observed in 27 of 49 patients (55%). For the 23 patients younger than 18 years, TART were present in 11 (48%), the youngest patient being 7.5 years old. The presence of TART was dependent on the CYP21A2 genotype: 27 of 37 patients (73%) with the most severe mutations (groups Null and A) had TART, whereas none of 12 patients with the milder mutations (groups B and C) had TART. We conclude that TART were most frequently detected in patients with severe CYP21A2 mutations, and may occur already in early childhood in such patients.
Insulin and IR‐β in pig spermatozoa: a role of the hormone in the acquisition of fertilizing ability
Authors: Carpino A. , Rago V. , Guido C. , Casaburi I. , Aquila S. 
Published: June 2009

SummaryRecent studies have revealed that insulin, the main regulator of the glucose homeostasis in somatic cells, is expressed in human spermatozoa which are also able to secrete it. This study investigated the expression of insulin and insulin receptor β in pig spermatozoa, at immunohistochemical protein and mRNA level. The immunofluorescence assay revealed that insulin and its receptor were co‐localized in the sperm midpiece, while insulin was also detected in the acrosomal region. Western blot evidenced a 36 kDa band for insulin and a 95 kDa band for insulin receptor, such as reported in somatic cells. In addition, both insulin and insulin receptor transcripts were detected in pig spermatozoa. Interestingly, a possible biological role of the hormone was evidenced during pig sperm capacitation and acrosome reaction. In fact, the results showed that insulin (0.01 and 0.1 nm) can induce both the activities. A possible autocrine short loop of insulin in pig spermatozoa was suggested by the evaluation of the hormone secretion in both uncapacitated and capacitated spermatozoa. Furthermore, spontaneous sperm capacitation and acrosome reaction were stimulated by glucose and inhibited by the blockage of insuline release (nifedipine). In conclusion, this work has firstly demonstrated the expression of insulin and of its receptor, as well as the insulin secretion by pig spermatozoa, thereby suggesting an unexpected significance of the hormone in the acquisition of the male gamete fertilizing ability.
HIV infection of the male genital tract – consequences for sexual transmission and reproduction
Authors: Le Tortorec A. , Dejucq‐Rainsford N. 
Published: June 2009

SummaryDespite semen being the main vector of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) dissemination worldwide, the origin of the virus in this bodily fluid remains unclear. It was recently shown that several organs of the male genital tract (MGT) are infected by HIV/simian immunodeficiency virus (SIV) and likely to contribute to semen viral load during the primary and chronic stages of the infection. These findings are important in helping answer the following questions: (i) does the MGT constitute a viral reservoir responsible for the persistence of virus release into the semen of a subset of HIV‐infected men under antiretroviral therapy, who otherwise show an undetectable blood viral load? (ii) What is the aetiology of the semen abnormalities observed in asymptomatic HIV‐infected men? (iii) What is the exact nature of the interactions between the spermatozoa, their testicular progenitors and HIV, an important issue in the context of assisted reproductive techniques proposed for HIV‐seropositive (HIV+) men? Answers to these questions are crucial for the design of new therapeutic strategies aimed at eradicating the virus from the genital tract of HIV+ men – thus reducing its sexual transmission – and for improving the care of serodiscordant couples wishing to have children. This review summarizes the most recent literature on HIV infection of the male genital tract, discusses the above issues in light of the latest findings and highlights future directions of research.