bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Herring (Clupea harengus) intake influences lipoproteins but not inflammatory and oxidation markers in overweight men
Authors: Lindqvist Helen M. , Langkilde Anna Maria , Undeland Ingrid , Sandberg Ann-Sofie 
Published: July 2008

Fish consumption is associated with a lower incidence of CVD and decreases in risk factors for atherosclerosis. Although fish contains other interesting components than fish oil, few studies focus on total fish composition and the influence food preparation might have on health-beneficial components. In the present cross-over intervention study the effect of a 6-week herring diet compared with a reference diet on CVD risk factors was investigated. Thirty-five healthy, but overweight, men (mean BMI 28·3 kg/m2) were randomised to a 6-week herring diet (150 g baked herring fillets/d, 5 d/week) or a reference diet (150 g baked lean pork and chicken fillets/d, 5 d/week). Diets were switched after a 12-week washout period. Plasma total cholesterol, TAG, HDL, HDL2, HDL3, LDL, C-reactive protein, IL-6, IL-18, intercellular adhesion molecule-1, oxidised LDL, oxygen radical absorbance capacity using perchloric acid (ORACPCA), whole-blood fatty acids, bleeding time and blood pressure were measured at the beginning and end of each dietary period. HDL was significantly higher after the herring diet period compared with after the reference diet period: 1·04v.0·99 mmol/l. TAG decreased after both diets, with no significant difference between the two diets. ORACPCAvalues did not indicate lower concentrations of non-protein plasma antioxidants, and oxidised LDL was not higher after the herring diet than after the reference diet. To conclude, a 6-week herring-rich diet significantly raised HDL compared with a diet of matched lean pork and chicken dishes. No adverse effects onin vivooxidation or serum antioxidants were found after herring intake.
Antioxidant capacity, polyphenol content and iron bioavailability from algae (Ulvasp.,Sargassumsp. andPorphyrasp.) in human subjects
Authors: García-Casal Maria N. , Ramírez José , Leets Irene , Pereira Ana C. , Quiroga Maria F. 
Published: July 2008

Marine algae are easily produced and are good sources of Fe. If this Fe is bioavailable, algae consumption could help to combat Fe deficiency and anaemia worldwide. The objective of the present study was to evaluate Fe bioavailability, polyphenol content and antioxidant capacity from three species of marine algae distributed worldwide. A total of eighty-three subjects received maize- or wheat-based meals containing marine algae (Ulvasp.,Sargassumsp. andPorphyrasp.) in different proportions (2·5, 5·0 and 7·5 g) added to the water to prepare the dough. All meals administered contained radioactive Fe. Absorption was evaluated calculating radioactive Fe incorporation in subjects' blood. The three species of marine algae were analysed for polyphenol content and reducing power. Algae significantly increased Fe absorption in maize- or wheat-based meals, especiallySargassumsp., due to its high Fe content. Increases in absorption were dose-dependent and higher in wheat- than in maize-based meals. Total polyphenol content was 10·84, 18·43 and 80·39 gallic acid equivalents/g forUlvasp.,Porphyrasp. andSargassumsp., respectively. The antioxidant capacity was also significantly higher inSargassumsp. compared with the other two species analysed.Ulvasp.,Sargassumsp. andPorphyrasp. are good sources of bioavailable Fe.Sargassumsp. resulted in the highest Fe intake due to its high Fe content, and a bread containing 7·5 gSargassumsp. covers daily Fe needs. The high polyphenol content found inSargassumsp. could be partly responsible for the antioxidant power reported here, and apparently did not affect Fe absorption.
Competing Utopias? Musical Ideologies in the 1930s and Two Spanish Civil War Films
Authors: HESS CAROL A. 
Published: July 2008

AbstractAlthough literature inspired by the Spanish Civil War has been widely studied, music so inspired has received far less scholarly attention, and film music even less so. Musical ideologies of the 1930s, including the utopian thinking of many artists and intellectuals, emerge in some surprising ways when we consider two films of the era. BothThe Spanish Earth(1937), an independent documentary, andBlockade(1938), produced in Hollywood, were intended to awaken Loyalist sympathies. The music for the former, consisting of recorded excerpts chosen by Marc Blitzstein and Virgil Thomson and widely understood as folkloric, embodies leftist composers' idealization of folk music. Werner Janssen's score forBlockaderelies on many stock Hollywood gestures, granting it the status of a commodity. This article explores both films in light of Michael Denning's reflections of the relationship between the “cultural front” and the “culture industry,” along with Fredric Jameson's advocacy of the Utopian principle as a hermeneutic tool. It argues that the music forThe Spanish Earthunwittingly subverts the Loyalist cause, whereas the score ofBlockade, with its manipulation of Hollywood codes, is far more persuasive than the political whitewashing of its plot would seem to suggest.
CA2 Pyramidal Layer
Authors:   Allen Institute for Brain Science, Dalley Rachel , Ng Lydia , Guillozet-Bongaarts Angela 
Published: July 2008

AbstractThis report contains a gene expression summary of the CA2 pyramidal cell layer (CA2sp), derived from the Allen Brain Atlas (ABA) in situ hybridization mouse data set. The structure's location and morphological characteristics in the mouse brain are described using the Nissl data found in the Allen Reference Atlas. Using an established algorithm, the expression values of the CA2sp were compared to the values of the macro/parent-structure, in this case the pyramidal layer of Ammon’s Horn, for the purpose of extracting regionally selective gene expression data. The genes with the highest ranking selectivity ratios were manually curated and verified. 50 genes were then selected and compiled for expression characterization. The experimental data for each gene may be accessed via the links provided; additional data in the sagittal plane may also be accessed using the ABA. Correlations between gene expression in the CA2sp and the rest of the brain, across all genes in the coronal dataset (~4300 genes), were derived computationally. A gene ontology table (derived from DAVID Bioinformatics Resources 2007) is also included, highlighting possible functions of the 50 genes selected for this report.
Case-Mix Adjustment Approach to Benchmarking Prevalence Rates of Nosocomial Infection in Hospitals in Cyprus and Greece
Authors: Kritsotakis Evangelos I. , Dimitriadis Ioannis , Roumbelaki Maria , Vounou Emelia , Kontou Maria , Papakyriakou Panikos , Koliou-Mazeri Maria , Varthalitis Ioannis , Vrouchos George , Troulakis George , Gikas Achilleas 
Published: July 2008

Objective.To examine the effect of heterogeneous case mix for a benchmarking analysis and interhospital comparison of the prevalence rates of nosocomial infection.Design.Cross-sectional survey.Setting.Eleven hospitals located in Cyprus and in the region of Crete in Greece.Methods.The survey included all inpatients in the medical, surgical, pediatric, and gynecology-obstetrics wards, as well as those in intensive care units. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention criteria were used to define nosocomial infection. The information collected for all patients included demographic characteristics, primary admission diagnosis, Karnofsky functional status index, Charlson comorbidity index, McCabe- Jackson severity of illness classification, use of antibiotics, and prior exposures to medical and surgical risk factors. Outcome data were also recorded for all patients. Case mix-adjusted rates were calculated by using a multivariate logistic regression model for nosocomial infection risk and an indirect standardization method.Results.The overall prevalence rate of nosocomial infection was 7.0% (95% confidence interval, 5.9%–8.3%) among 1,832 screened patients. Significant variation in nosocomial infection rates was observed across hospitals (range, 2.2%–9.6%). Logistic regression analysis indicated that the mean predicted risk of nosocomial infection across hospitals ranged from 3.7% to 10.3%, suggesting considerable variation in patient risk. Case mix-adjusted rates ranged from 2.6% to 12.4%, and the relative ranking of hospitals was affected by case-mix adjustment in 8 cases (72.8%). Nosocomial infection was significantly and independently associated with mortality (adjusted odds ratio, 3.6 [95% confidence interval, 2.1–6.1]).Conclusion.The first attempt to rank the risk of nosocomial infection in these regions demonstrated the importance of accounting for heterogeneous case mix before attempting interhospital comparisons.
Chronic child abuse and domestic violence: children and families with long‐term and complex needs
Authors: Devaney John 
Published: July 2008

ABSTRACTIt is estimated that up to one million children may have been exposed to domestic violence in the UK, with significant consequences for their social and emotional development in childhood and later life. At a time when the central and devolved administrations in the UK have developed strategies to tackle domestic violence, this paper reports the findings from a study conducted on children in the child protection system with long‐term and complex needs as a result of experiencing domestic violence. The research identifies the characteristics of the children and their families and tracks their careers through the child protection system. The findings indicate that professionals have an awareness of domestic violence, and that younger children with younger parents are most likely to experience prolonged periods in the child protection system. Domestic violence in this context typically co‐exists in families experiencing other difficulties such as substance misuse and socio‐economic deprivation. In conclusion, the paper argues that Government policy and professional practice should primarily be concerned with assessing the risk that men present, rather than the risk that children are at. By reframing professional interventions, men are more likely to be challenged to accept responsibility for their behaviour and the consequences for their families.
Safeguarding children in the UK: a longitudinal study of services to children suffering or likely to suffer significant harm
Authors: Brandon Marian , Thoburn June 
Published: July 2008

ABSTRACTThis paper presents findings from a prospective longitudinal study which set out to track the progress of 105 children and young people newly identified as having suffered, or being likely to suffer, significant harm through maltreatment or neglect. Baseline data were collected on these children in four English social services departments. Descriptive data on the services and child outcome data were analysed on all the children between 12 and 18 months later, and on 77 of the young people 8–9 years after concerns were first identified. Forty per cent of the children stayed at home with a parent throughout, while the majority of children experienced either some or considerable disruption to their lives. Fifty‐seven per cent experienced further maltreatment or neglect. Some children appear to have made good progress in spite of repeated moves, disruption and re‐abuse. The paper examines the pattern of services to children and parents. Factors are explored which appeared to either help or hinder the children's capacity to deal with the stresses and adversities faced over the 8 years. Implications for policy and practice are explored which may be more likely to promote positive outcomes for these high‐risk children.
Attitudes of Palestinian pre‐school teachers from Israel towards reporting of suspected cases of child abuse and neglect
Authors: Haj‐Yahia Muhammad M. , Attar‐Schwartz Shalhevet 
Published: July 2008

ABSTRACTThe paper documents a study conducted among 225 Palestinian pre‐school teachers from Israel. Data were collected through a self‐administered questionnaire that examined the teachers’ attitudes towards reporting child abuse and neglect. In general, the participants’ attitudes towards reporting child abuse and neglect to the child protection services (CPS) were more positive than their attitudes towards reporting to the police. Willingness to report suspected cases of child sexual abuse to the police and CPS was higher than willingness to report other types of child abuse and neglect. Inconsistent results were revealed with regard to how awareness of reporting regulations and awareness of signs and risk factors for child maltreatment affect willingness to report to CPS and to the police. A comprehensive discussion of the possible relevance of the participants’ socio‐cultural and sociopolitical values to their attitudes towards reporting child abuse and neglect is presented. The implications of the results for future studies are also discussed.
The association of early life exposure to antibiotics and the development of asthma, eczema and atopy in a birth cohort: confounding or causality?
Authors: Wickens K. , Ingham T. , Epton M. , Pattemore P. , Town I. , Fishwick D. , Crane J. ,   the New Zealand Asthma and Allergy Cohort Study Group
Published: July 2008

SummaryBackground
In general, studies reporting positive associations between antibiotic exposure and respiratory and allergic disease have been unable to determine the nature of this association.Objective
To examine the association between antibiotic exposure in infancy and the development of asthma, eczema and atopy in early childhood.Methods
In a birth cohort study, we collected reported antibiotic exposure before 3 months and before 15 months along with outcomes (wheeze, asthma, eczema, rash, inhaler use) at 15 months (n=1011) and 4 years (n=986). Atopy was measured using skin prick tests at 15 months.Results
We found significant univariate associations of antibiotic exposure before 3 months with asthma developing between birth and 15 months [OR 2.32 (95% CI 1.45–3.69)]. After adjustment for chest infections, this association reduced (OR=1.58, 95% CI 0.96–2.60) becoming marginally significant (P=0.07). A marginally significant association of antibiotics with atopy (OR=1.44, 95% CI 0.96–2.14) in the univariate analysis also reduced after adjustment for chest infections (OR=1.36, 95% CI 0.91–2.05). There was no effect of antibiotic exposure before 15 months on asthma developing after 15 months and present between 3 and 4 years (OR=1.35 95% CI 0.85–2.14). Antibiotic exposure before 3 months was not associated with eczema and rash developing between birth and 15 months but exposure before 15 months was related to eczema [OR 1.83 (95% CI 1.10–3.05)] and rash [OR 1.61 (95% CI 1.02–2.53)] developing after 15 months and remaining present at 4 years. These effects reduced in the multivariate analysis.Conclusions
Our findings suggest that the effect of antibiotics on respiratory disease may be due to confounding by chest infections at an early age when asthma may be indistinguishable from infection.
The impact of goal focus, task type and group size on synchronous net‐based collaborative learning discourses
Authors: Pfister H.‐R. , Oehl M. 
Published: July 2008

AbstractNet‐based collaborative learning discourses often suffer from deficiencies such as lack of coherence and coordination. It is suggested that the provision of two functionalities, referencing and typing, which learners may optionally use to ground their contributions during a chat‐based discourse, can improve collaborative learning. In particular, we examined if goal focus, type of task and group size affect learning outcomes and the use of these functionalities. A chat‐based system, called a learning protocol, implements these functionalities and serves as a net‐based collaborative learning environment. Results suggest that a learning protocol is more beneficial for knowledge‐acquisition tasks than for problem‐solving tasks, and that the use of supporting functionalities increases when goal focus is on the group rather than on the individual. Also, there is a tendency that learning outcomes improve as group size increases. We propose that learning protocols provide potentially valuable design features that can promote net‐based collaborative learning.
Shifting Identities and Blurring Boundaries: the Emergence ofThird SpaceProfessionals in UK Higher Education
Authors: Whitchurch Celia 
Published: July 2008

AbstractThis paper adds to earlier reviews by the author of the changing roles and identities of contemporary professional staff in UK higher education, and builds on a categorisation of professional staff identities as havingbounded,cross‐boundaryandunboundedcharacteristics. Drawing on a study of 54 professional managers in the United Kingdom, Australia and the United States, it describes a further category ofblended professionals, who have mixed backgrounds and portfolios, comprising elements of both professional and academic activity. The paper goes on to introduce the concept ofthird spaceas an emergent territory between academic and professional domains, which is colonised primarily by lessboundedforms of professional. The implications of these developments for institutions and for individuals are considered, and some international comparisons drawn. Finally, it is suggested thatthird spaceworking may be indicative of future trends in professional identities, which may increasingly coalesce with those of academic colleagues who undertake project‐ and management‐oriented roles, so that new forms ofthird spaceprofessional are likely to continue to emerge.
Oxidative DNA Damage Induced by Ethanol in Mouse Peripheral Leucocytes
Authors: Guo Lei , Yang Jing Yu , Wu Chun Fu 
Published: July 2008

Abstract: It is suggested that reactive oxygen species produced during ethanol intake may induce oxidative DNA damage. The present study, by the use of single cell gel electrophoresis (comet assay), investigated the potential genotoxicity of acute and long‐term ethanol administration in mouse peripheral leucocytes. Urinary 8‐hydroxy‐2′‐deoxyguanosine and total antioxidant capacity and reactive oxygen species in whole blood were also detected. Acute or long‐term administration of ethanol, at the dose of 2.5 or 5.0 g/kg intraperitoneally, for 30 days, could induce significant DNA damage in peripheral leucocytes, which could be repaired at least 3 days after ethanol withdrawal in long‐term ethanol treatment. A significant increase of urinary 8‐hydroxy‐2′‐deoxyguanosine and generations of reactive oxygen species in whole blood after ethanol administration were observed, which demonstrated the ethanol‐induced oxidative DNA damage. Interestingly, it was found that the total antioxidant capacity was significantly increased in whole blood after long‐term ethanol administration compared to the control group, which suggested enhancement in the activities of the antioxidative defence system against oxidative tissue damage caused by excessive ethanol consumption. Thus, the present studies provide a clear evidence that ethanol induced DNA damage in peripheral leucocytes, which might result from ethanol‐induced oxidative stress in the body.
Tramadol‐Induced Seizurogenic Effect: A Possible Role of Opioid‐Dependent γ‐Aminobutyric Acid Inhibitory Pathway
Authors: Rehni Ashish K. , Singh Inderbir , Kumar Manoj 
Published: July 2008

Abstract: The present study has been designed to pharmacologically investigate the role of opioid and γ‐aminobutyric acid receptors on the seizurogenic effect of tramadol. A single injection of pentylenetetrazole (80 mg/kg) was used to elicit seizure activity in mice. Seizures were assessed in terms of the time latency of the onset of Straub's tail phenomenon, onset of jerky movements of whole body, convulsions and death. Tramadol administration (50 mg/kg) caused a marked increase in seizurogenic activity of pentylenetetrazole as measured in terms of a significant decrease in the time latency of the onset of Straub's tail phenomenon, jerky movements of whole body, convulsions and death. Moreover, prior administration of naloxone (2 mg/kg) and gabapentin (25 mg/kg), respectively, attenuated the seizurogenic activity that tramadol exerted on pentylenetetrazole‐treated mice. Furthermore, prior administration of naloxone (2 mg/kg) and gabapentin (25 mg/kg), respectively, also attenuated the seizurogenic activity exerted by tramadolper se. Therefore, it is suggested that tramadol exerts a seizurogenic effect on mice possibly via an opioid‐dependent γ‐aminobutyric acid inhibitory pathway.
Identification of Differentially Expressed Genes after Acute Exposure to Bulaquine (CDRI 80/53) in Mice Liver
Authors: Noel Sanjeev , Sharma Sharad , Shankar Rishi , Rath Srikanta Kumar 
Published: July 2008

Abstract:  Therapeutic agents derived from 8‐aminoquinoline possess potent activity against hepatic stages of plasmodia. Bulaquine (CDRI 80/53), an enamine analogue of primaquine and a relatively new derivative of 8‐aminioquinoline, synthesized at the Central Drug Research Institute, Lucknow, India, has shown promising activity against hypnozoites of Plasmodium vivax and Plasmodium ovale. Moreover, it has been found to be three to four times safer than primaquine in pre‐clinical studies. In this study, global gene profiling using 22,827 probes was carried out in the livers of male Swiss mice to identify affected genes and cellular pathways at 6, 12 and 24 hr after a single oral dose of bulaquine (40 mg/kg). Present gene expression analysis revealed perturbation in 11 probes (P < 0.01 and 2‐fold), including those corresponding to protein synthesis, cell division, protein ubiquitination, transcription regulation and steroid biosynthesis. Large numbers of probes (>100) corresponding to transcription, protein biosynthesis and intracellular signalling showed >2‐fold differential expression at one of the time‐points. Furthermore, 60 Gene Ontology terms were affected significantly (z score > 2). Conversely, serum biochemistry and histological evaluation of hepatic tissue showed no signs of stress. These gene expression alterations provide the first report of early hepatic response after an acute dose of bulaquine in mice liver; however, absence of traditional markers of hepatic stress might suggest a general hepatic response inherent in these transcriptional changes. Interestingly, the total number of affected probes was less as compared to that previously reported for primaquine.
Effect of Rosuvastatin on Methionine‐Induced Hyperhomocysteinaemia and Haematological Changes in Rats
Authors: Nigam Gaurav Kumar , Ansari M. Nazam , Bhandari Uma 
Published: July 2008

Abstract:  The present study was designed to investigate the protective effect of rosuvastatin on methionine‐induced hyperhomocysteinaemia and haematological changes in albino rats. Methionine (1 g/kg, orally) administration to pathogenic control rats (i.e. group II) for 30 days significantly (P < 0.01) increased the levels of homocysteine, total cholesterol (TC), low‐density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL‐C), very low‐density lipoprotein cholesterol (VLDL‐C) and triglycerides (TGs) and decreased the levels of high‐density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL‐C) in serum. Haematological observations of the peripheral blood smears of pathogenic rats (i.e. group II) fed with methionine also showed crenation of red blood cells cell membrane and significant (P < 0.01) increase in total leucocyte count, differential leucocyte count and platelet counts with significant (P < 0.01) decrease in the mean haemoglobin levels as compared to vehicle control rats (group I). Administration of rosuvastatin (0.5 mg/kg/day, orally) to hyperhomocysteinaemic rats for 30 days significantly (P < 0.01) decreased the levels of homocysteine, TC, TGs, LDL‐C, VLDL‐C and increased the levels of HDL‐C in serum. The present results provide clear evidence that oral treatment with rosuvastatin produces homocysteine and lipid lowering activity and also reversal of haematological changes induced by methionine in rats.