bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Build Back Better principles for post‐disaster structural improvements
Authors: Mannakkara Sandeeka , Wilkinson Suzanne
Published: August 2013

Purpose

The purpose of the paper is to inform stakeholders involved in post‐disaster reconstruction how to incorporate Build Back Better (BBB) principles when implementing structural design improvements to achieve efficiency and effectiveness in the rebuilding process.

Design/methodology/approach

Literature review was used to establish BBB principles required for post‐disaster structural changes. The application of these principles was then tested in the Indian Ocean Tsunami reconstruction in Sri Lanka, and the Victorian Bushfires in Australia. Qualitative data were collected in each country by conducting interviews with stakeholders from governmental authorities, and non‐governmental and community‐level organisations who were directly involved in recovery activities along with other documentation. Results were compared to understand how/to what extent BBB principles were applied and their implications, to finally determine the applicability of these principles in different environments.

Findings

Proposed BBB principles for post‐disaster structural changes from literature were grouped under: building codes and regulations, cost and time, and quality. Principles such as multi‐hazard‐based building codes, education and support for communities, long‐term funding and quality assurance through inspections were applicable in both case studies. Experiences in Australia and Sri Lanka also presented a few extra principles to add practicality based on local contextualisation. These included avoiding high‐risk lands using buy‐back/land‐swap schemes, incentives to attract skilled builders, and the use of comfortable temporary accommodation to relieve time pressures.

Research limitations/implications

The study does not look into detail at the administrative, regulative and social systems which contributed towards the inability of the built environment to withstand the respective hazards. A general understanding of these systems was gained and taken into consideration when analysing the results. The findings show that despite the differences found between Australia and Sri Lanka the relevance of the principles for structural improvements remained intact.

Practical implications

The government, engineers and building practitioners involved in reconstruction will benefit from learning from the experiences of others, and understanding how implementing structural changes can be done more successfully by applying BBB principles.

Originality/value

This research takes a unique look at how BBB principles drawn from international experiences can be incorporated when implementing structural changes in post‐disaster rebuilding to further improve the outcome.
Suppressive effect of mangosteen rind extract on the spontaneous development of atopic dermatitis in NC/Tnd mice
Authors: Higuchi Hiroaki , Tanaka Akane , Nishikawa Sho , Oida Kumiko , Matsuda Akira , Jung Kyungsook , Amagai Yosuke , Matsuda Hiroshi
Published: August 2013

Atopic dermatitis (AD) is a chronic and relapsing skin disorder characterized by pruritic and dry skin lesions with allergic inflammation. Recent studies have revealed anti‐inflammatory and anti‐allergic effects of xanthones in mangosteen through regulation of the nuclear factor (NF)‐κB signaling pathway. Activation of NF‐κB signals is responsible for allergic inflammation in AD. To develop a new preventive therapy for AD, we examined the effects of the natural medicine, mangosteen rind extract (ME), on AD in a murine model. ME (250 mg/kg per day) was administrated to NC/Tnd mice, a model for human AD, for 6 weeks to evaluate its preventive effects on AD. We also confirmed the effects of ME on various immune cell functions. Oral administration of ME prevented the increase of clinical skin severity scores, plasma total immunoglobulin E levels, scratching behavior, transepidermal water loss and epidermal hyperplasia in NC/Tnd mice; moreover, no adverse effects were noted. We demonstrated that ME suppressed thymic stromal lymphopoietin and interferon‐γ mRNA expression both in vitro and in vivo. Not only immunoglobulin E production from splenic B cells but also immunoglobulin E‐mediated degranulation of bone marrow‐derived cultured mast cells was significantly reduced by the addition of ME to the culture. In addition, mRNA expression levels of nerve growth factor were decreased in ME‐administrated NC/Tnd mice compared with those of controls. Keratinocyte proliferation was well‐controlled by ME application. Oral administration of ME exhibited its suppressive potential on the early development of AD by controlling inflammation, itch and epidermal barrier function.
Genital pyoderma gangrenosum: Report of two cases and published work review of Japanese cases
Authors: Satoh Masataka , Yamamoto Toshiyuki
Published: August 2013

Pyoderma gangrenosum is an ulcerative skin disorder showing characteristic non‐infectious ulcers and affects the lower extremities in approximately 70% of cases. Pyoderma gangrenosum is commonly associated with systemic diseases such as inflammatory bowel disease, rheumatoid arthritis and hematological malignancies. Herein, we report two cases of Japanese patients diagnosed with genital pyoderma gangrenosum. Case 1 was a 74‐year‐old woman without associated systemic complications, whose skin lesion resembled a squamous cell carcinoma and was limited to the vulva. Case 2 is an 89‐year‐old man, who suffered from myelodysplastic syndrome and acute myeloid leukemia, and presented with penile and leg ulcers mimicking pressure sores. Both cases responded well to systemic steroids. We review 13 genital pyoderma gangrenosum cases (76.9% male; aged 30–89 years) from 1996 to 2012 in Japan, including 11 previously reported cases and the present study's two cases. Four of the 13 genital pyoderma gangrenosum cases had associated systemic diseases and their skin lesions spread to the extragenital areas. Eight of the remaining nine genitalia‐localized pyoderma gangrenosum cases had no associated systemic diseases. In conclusion, genital pyoderma gangrenosum is rare and may be misdiagnosed. It should therefore be considered in cases of refractory genital ulcers. In addition, genitalia‐localized pyoderma gangrenosum tends to be without systemic complications.
Breaking the In-Group Out-Group: Shifting Boundaries in Transnational Partner Choice Processes of Individuals of Moroccan, Tunisian, Algerian, Turkish, Punjabi Sikh, Pakistani and Albanian Descent in Belgium
Authors: Casier Marlies , Heyse Petra , Clycq Noel , Zemni Sami , Timmerman Christiane
Published: August 2013

The ongoing popularity in some second and third generation migrants in Western Europe of marrying a partner from the countries of origin of their (grand)parents is considered to be problematic for micro and macro level societal integration of some migrant populations. Partner choice and marriage practices in migrant communities are problematized in public, media and political discourses by discriminating them from marriage practices in the ‘native’ population on the basis of three related dichotomies: (1) agency versus structure, (2) us versus them and (3) romantic versus instrumental marriage intentions dichotomies. By means of in-depth qualitative research methodologies on the partner choice processes of women and men of Turkish, Moroccan, Algerian, Tunisian, Punjabi Sikh, Pakistani and Albanian descent in Belgium and an intersectional theoretical approach, this article aims to deconstruct popular and simplifying dichotomous representations of partner choice processes in these migrant populations. Our study reveals how religious, gender and social class boundaries are stretched to meet personal/individual desires and preferences. Individuals do experience social restrictions when it concerns social group boundaries and the potential partners that they can look for. At the same time individuals are never fully determined by their social environment, they creatively develop strategies to by-pass certain restrictions and to some extent are able to meet their personal needs while being sensitive to the desires of their social environment.
The Golden Star: An Emotional Repertoire of Scientific Discovery and Legacy
Authors: Sampson Cathy , Atkinson Paul
Published: August 2013

This paper examines vocabularies of emotion in the discovery narratives of a group of genetic scientists. The discovery of the gene for myotonic dystrophy in 1992 was part of a unique and highly competitive phase of molecular genetic research into single gene hereditary conditions. Members of a small group of scientists who made a significant contribution to the discovery of the gene were interviewed sixteen years later about the impact of that discovery. They structured their memories into narrative accounts characterized by vivid recall, colourful language and use of an emotional repertoire to reconstruct the dynamics, relationships and personal meaning of the discovery. The focus of this emotional language was on what it meant to be a molecular scientist, the dynamics of the incremental work that led to eventual success, the networks surrounding the team and the legacy of discovery in relation to science and to the individual scientists. The emotional repertoire revealed subtle differences between accounts, where there was universal recognition of the importance of the discovery for a scientific career but ambivalence regarding its personal meaning for some key actors.
The ‘Animal-Advocacy Agenda’: Exploring Sociology for Non-Human Animals
Authors: Peggs Kay
Published: August 2013

This paper focuses on sociology and the study of human non-human animal relations. Using as a catalyst referees' comments on a previous paper about experiments using non-human animal subjects, in this present paper three problematics are identified and discussed. These problematics centre on the ‘acceptable’ content of sociological inquiry, the ‘permissibility’ of advocacy-oriented sociology, and the ‘admissibility’ of non-human animal-advocacy to advocacy-oriented sociology. The three problematics are explored through the lens of reflexive and critical sociology. Two central questions are raised: first, should sociology include the study of nonhuman animals and secondly, can sociology advocate for non-human animals? The paper concludes with an affirmative response to both of these questions. The paper ends by stressing that sociology has so much to offer the study of human non-human animal relations. Professional sociologists have a key role to play in enabling this work to move from margins to centre in published sociology.
Activation of PI3K/Akt/mTOR signaling pathway triggered by PTEN downregulation in the pathogenesis of Crohn's disease
Authors: Long Shun Hua , He Yao , Chen Min Hu , Cao Kang , Chen Yu Jun , Chen Bai Li , Mao Ren , Zhang Sheng Hong , Zhu Zhen Hua , Zeng Zhi Rong , Hu Pin Jin
Published: August 2013

Objective

We aimed to investigate the role of the phosphatidylinositol 3‐kinase/protein kinase B/mammalian target of rapamycin (PI3K/Akt/mTOR) signaling pathway and its negative feedback factor, phosphatase and tensin homolog (PTEN), in the pathogenesis of Crohn's disease (CD).

Methods

Peripheral blood was collected from patients with CD and healthy controls while colon tissue samples were collected from CD patients and those complaining of constipation but with normal endoscopic results. CD4+ T‐cells were isolated from peripheral blood. The expression of PI3K/Akt/mTOR pathway components and PTEN was evaluated in the peripheral CD4+ T‐cells using polymerase chain reaction and Western blot, and in intestinal mucosal lymphocytes using immunohistochemistry.

Results

mRNA expressions of PI3K, Akt, mTOR, 4E‐binding protein 1 (4E‐BP1) and phosphate‐ribosomal protein S6 kinase (p70S6K) in peripheral CD4+ T‐cells were upregulated in CD patients compared with healthy controls . However, the differences were not significant (P > 0.05). Western blot showed that the ratios of phospho‐Akt: Akt, phosphorylated‐4E‐BP1: 4E‐BP1 and phospho‐p70S6K: p70S6K in peripheral CD4+ T‐cells were higher in CD patients (P < 0.05). The composite staining score of phospho‐Akt and phospho‐mTOR in intestinal mucosal lymphocytes also increased in patients with CD compared with those with constipation. Both PTEN mRNA and protein expressions in either peripheral CD4+ T‐cells or mucosal lymphocytes were lower in patients with CD than in the healthy controls and those with constipation.

Conclusions

The PI3K/Akt/mTOR signaling pathway was activated in CD. The activation of the PI3K/Akt/mTOR pathway caused by PTEN downregulation may be involved in the pathogenesis of CD.
Will climate warming exceed lethal photosynthetic temperature thresholds of lichens in a southern African arid region?
Authors: Maphangwa Khumbudzo Walter , Musil Charles F. , Raitt Lincoln , Zedda Luciana
Published: August 2013

Predicted elevated temperatures and a shift from a winter to summer rainfall pattern associated with global warming could result in the exposure of hydrated lichens during summer to more numerous temperature extremes that exceed their thermal thresholds. This hypothesis was tested by measuring lethal temperature thresholds under laboratory and natural conditions for four epilithic lichen species (Xanthoparmelia austro‐africana, X. hyporhytida, Xanthoparmelia sp., Xanthomaculina hottentotta) occurring on quartz gravel substrates at a hot arid inland site two epigeous lichen species (Teloschistes capensis, Ramalina sp.) occurring on gypsum‐rich topsoil at a warm humid coastal site. Extrapolated lethal temperatures for photosynthetic quantum yield under laboratory conditions were up to 4°C higher for lichens from a dry inland site than those from a humid coastal site. Lethal temperatures extrapolated for photosynthetic quantum yield at a saturating photosynthetic photon flux density of ≥11,000 μmol photons m−2 s−1 under natural conditions were up to 6°C higher for lichens from the dry inland site than the more humid coastal site. It is concluded that only under atypical conditions of lichen exposure in a hydrated state to temperature extremes at high midday solar irradiances during summer could lethal photosynthetic thresholds in sensitive lichen species be potentially exceeded, but whether the increased frequency of such conditions with climate warming would lead to increased likelihood of lichen mortality is debatable.
Trial of labor compared to repeat cesarean section in women with no other risk factors than a prior cesarean delivery
Authors: Studsgaard Anne , Skorstengaard Malene , Glavind Julie , Hvidman Lone , Uldbjerg Niels
Published: August 2013

Objective

To compare outcomes with trial of labor after cesarean (TOLAC) or elective repeat cesarean delivery on maternal request (ERCD‐MR).

Design

Prospective cohort study.

Setting

Danish university hospital.

Population

Women with TOLAC (n = 1161) and women with ERCD‐MR (n = 622) between 2003 and 2010. Exclusion criteria were diabetes, two prior cesarean sections, index cesarean at a different hospital, a delivery after the index cesarean, twin gestation, gestational age <37+0 weeks and stillbirth.

Methods

Data were obtained from the Aarhus Birth Cohort database, which comprised prospective registration of the deliveries.

Main outcome measures

Adverse neonatal outcomes, risk factors for emergency cesarean, and uterine rupture in case of TOLAC.

Results

TOLAC was associated with an increased risk of neonatal depression [odds ratio (OR) 3.6, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.1–19.1] and neonatal intensive care unit admission (adjusted OR 1.9, 95% CI 1.3–2.8). Within the TOLAC group 67% delivered vaginally. In the TOLAC group 1.3% (n = 15) of the women had a complete uterine rupture. None of these infants had sequelae after 12 months. Significant risk factors for emergency cesarean were no prior vaginal delivery (adjusted OR 1.8, 95% CI 1.1–3.0), index emergency cesarean during labor (adjusted OR 3.0, 95% CI 2.3–4.1), maternal age ≥35 years (adjusted OR 1.9, 95% CI 1.3–2.8), pre‐pregnancy body mass index ≥30 (adjusted OR 2.1, 95% CI 1.3–3.3), and birthweight 4000–4499 g (adjusted OR 1.5, 95% CI 1.1–2.1). Uterine rupture was associated with the use of epidural analgesia (OR 2.2, 95% CI 1.1–4.9) and no prior vaginal delivery (p = 0.03).

Conclusion

TOLAC is an acceptable individualized option for women without major risk factors.
Meta‐analysis methods for risk differences
Authors: Bonett Douglas G. , Price Robert M.
Published: August 2013

The difference between two proportions, referred to as a risk difference, is a useful measure of effect size in studies where the response variable is dichotomous. Confidence interval methods based on a varying coefficient model are proposed for combining and comparing risk differences from multi‐study between‐subjects or within‐subjects designs. The proposed methods are new alternatives to the popular constant coefficient and random coefficient methods. The proposed varying coefficient methods do not require the constant coefficient assumption of effect size homogeneity, nor do they require the random coefficient assumption that the risk differences from the selected studies represent a random sample from a normally distributed superpopulation of risk differences. The proposed varying coefficient methods are shown to have excellent finite‐sample performance characteristics under realistic conditions.
Sertraline inhibits the transport of PAT1 substrates in vivo and in vitro
Authors: Nielsen C U , Frølund S , Abdulhadi S , Sari H , Langthaler L , Nøhr M K , Kall M A , Brodin B , Holm R
Published: August 2013

Background and Purpose

Intestinal nutrient transporters may mediate the uptake of drugs. The aim of this study was to investigate whether sertraline interacts with the intestinal proton‐coupled amino acid transporter 1 PAT1 (SLC36A1).

Experimental Approach

In vitro investigations of interactions between sertraline and human (h)PAT1, hSGLT1 (sodium‐glucose linked transporter 1) and hPepT1 (proton‐coupled di‐/tri‐peptide transporter 1) were conducted in Caco‐2 cells using radiolabelled substrates. In vivo pharmacokinetic investigations were conducted in male Sprague–Dawley rats using gaboxadol (10 mg·kg−1, p.o.) as a PAT1 substrate and sertraline (0–30.6 mg·kg−1). Gaboxadol was quantified by hydrophilic interaction chromatography followed by MS/MS detection.

Key Results

Sertraline inhibited hPAT1‐mediated L‐[3H]‐Pro uptake in Caco‐2 cells. This interaction between sertraline and PAT1 appeared to be non‐competitive. The uptake of the hSGLT1 substrate [14C]‐α–methyl‐D‐glycopyranoside and the hPepT1 substrate [14C]‐Gly‐Sar in Caco‐2 cells was also decreased in the presence of 0.3 mM sertraline. In rats, the administration of sertraline (0.1–10 mM, corresponding to 0.3–30.6 mg·kg−1, p.o.) significantly reduced the maximal gaboxadol plasma concentration and AUC after its administration p.o.

Conclusions and Implications

Sertraline is an apparent non‐competitive inhibitor of hPAT1‐mediated transport in vitro. This inhibitory effect of sertraline is not specific to hPAT1 as substrate transport via hPepT1 and hSGLT1 was also reduced in the presence of sertraline. In vivo, sertraline reduced the amount of gaboxadol absorbed, suggesting that the inhibitory effect of sertraline on PAT1 occurs both in vitro and in vivo. Hence, sertraline could alter the bioavailability of drugs absorbed via PAT1.
Rolofylline, an adenosine A1 receptor antagonist, inhibits osteoclast differentiation as an inverse agonist
Authors: He Wenjie , Wilder Tuere , Cronstein Bruce N
Published: August 2013

Background and Purpose

Adenosine may be generated by hydrolysis of extracellular nucleotides by ectonucleotidases, including ectonucleoside triphosphate diphosphohydrolase 1 (CD39), ecto‐5′‐nucleotidase (CD73), nucleotide pyrophosphatase phosphodiesterase 1 (NPP‐1) and tissue non‐specific alkaline phosphatase (TNAP). Previous work from our laboratory has uncovered a critical role for adenosine A1 receptors (A1R) in osteoclastogenesis; blockade or deletion of these receptors diminishes osteoclast differentiation. Interestingly, selective A1R agonists neither affect basal osteoclastogenesis nor do they reverse A1R antagonist‐mediated inhibition of osteoclastogenesis. In this study, we determined whether ectonucleotidase‐mediated adenosine production was required for A1R antagonist‐mediated inhibition, and, when we saw no effect, determined whether A1R was constitutively activated and the antagonist was acting as an inverse agonist to diminish osteoclast differentiation.

Experimental Approach

Osteoclast formation derived from wild‐type, CD39 knockout (KO), CD73 KO, NPP‐1 KO and TNAP KO mice was examined by tartrate‐resistant acid phosphatase staining of receptor activator of NF‐κB ligand–macrophage colony‐stimulating factor‐stimulated osteoclasts and osteoclast gene expression (Ctsk, Acp5, MMP‐9 and NFATc1). Intracellular cAMP concentration was determined by elisa.

Key Results

Rolofylline inhibited osteoclast formation in a dose‐dependent manner (IC50 = 20–70 nM) in mice lacking all four of these phosphatases, although baseline osteoclast formation was significantly less in precursors from CD73 KO mice. Rolofylline (1 μM) stimulates cAMP production in bone marrow macrophages by 10.23 ± 0.89‐fold.

Conclusions and Implications

Based on these findings, we hypothesize that the A1R is constitutively activated in osteoclast precursors, thereby diminishing basal AC activity, and that A1R antagonists act as inverse agonists to release A1R‐mediated inhibition of basal AC activity and permit osteoclast differentiation. The constitutive activity of A1R promotes osteoclast formation and down‐regulation of this activity blocks osteoclast formation.
Extrafacial indolent CD8‐positive cutaneous lymphoid proliferation with unusual symmetrical presentation involving both feet
Authors: Wobser Marion , Petrella Tony , Kneitz Hermann , Kerstan Andreas , Goebeler Matthias , Rosenwald Andreas , Geissinger Eva
Published: August 2013

Indolent CD8+ cutaneous lymphoid proliferation represents a recently described entity among cutaneous T‐cell lymphomas that typically presents with solitary skin lesions on the face or at acral sites and usually follows an indolent clinical course. Histopathologically, this entity is characterized by a dense dermal infiltrate of non‐epidermotropic, small‐ to medium‐sized pleomorphic CD8+ T‐cells of the non‐activated cytotoxic phenotype showing a clear‐cut grenz zone and a low proliferation index. Distinction from otherwise aggressive T‐cell lymphomas bearing a cytotoxic CD8+ phenotype is fundamental. We herein present an unusual case of indolent CD8+ cutaneous lymphoid proliferation presenting in bilateral symmetrical distribution on both feet and lacking the otherwise described grenz zone. Our case widens the spectrum of possible clinical and histomorphological variations of this entity. Taking into account the distinctive and unique clinical and microscopic features of all hitherto published cases of indolent CD8+ cutaneous lymphoid proliferation we suppose that this lymphoma subtype has to be included as a new and distinct entity in the World Health Organisation (WHO)‐/European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer (EORTC)‐classification of cutaneous lymphomas.
Benign lymphangioendothelioma: a clinical, histopathologic and immunohistochemical analysis of four cases
Authors: Wang Lei , Chen Liuqing , Yang Xichuan , Gao Tianwen , Wang Gang
Published: August 2013

Background

Benign lymphangioendothelioma represents a rare lymphatic vascular proliferation characterized by proliferation of irregular and thin‐walled vessels dissecting amongst dermal collagen. Immunohistochemical analysis has been lacking in most previously reported cases.

Methods

Herein, we report the clinical and histopathologic characteristics of four cases of benign lymphangioendothelioma. Immunohistochemical study was completed for all lesions.

Results

All lesions presented as large, red to brown patches or plaques. Three lesions were located on the thigh and one lesion was located on the neck. Histopathologically, all lesions showed proliferation of anastomotic or retiform thin‐walled vessels with a single layer of endothelial cells that dissect the dermis. D2‐40 and Prox1 immunostains were positive and Wilms tumor 1 (WT‐1) immunostain was negative in all cases.

Conclusion

Benign lymphangioendothelioma represents a lymphatic vascular proliferation. A lack of expression of WT‐1 suggests it represents a lymphatic vascular malformation.
Asphalt Dreams: Road Construction and Environmental Citizenship in Peru
Authors: Pieck Sonja K.
Published: August 2013

Peru today is one of the main staging grounds for a continent‐wide integration effort. Launched in 2000, the Initiative for the Integration of Regional Infrastructure in South America (IIRSA) calls for an enormous expansion of the continent's transport and energy networks and an effort to increase the region's economic competitiveness. Among its most controversial projects is the Interoceanic Highway linking western Brazil with the Pacific coast of Peru. The highway has attracted fierce criticism from NGOs who point to major environmental impacts, an inadequate mitigation process, and a lack of transparency in funding flows and decision making. In an effort to voice their concerns, these groups engage the idea of ‘environmental governance’ to increase public participation in the development process and promote ecological sustainability. This alternative framework in turn opens up space for ‘environmental citizenship’. This article takes a closer look at how Peruvian NGOs employ this idea and suggests that while the group's advocacy of governance has had success, the building of environmental citizenship will require a move beyond urban Peruvian NGOs as technical experts.
A systematic review of interventions for children with cerebral palsy: state of the evidence
Authors: Novak Iona , Mcintyre Sarah , Morgan Catherine , Campbell Lanie , Dark Leigha , Morton Natalie , Stumbles Elise , Wilson Salli‐Ann , Goldsmith Shona
Published: August 2013

Aim

The aim of this study was to describe systematically the best available intervention evidence for children with cerebral palsy (CP).

Method

This study was a systematic review of systematic reviews. The following databases were searched: CINAHL, Cochrane Library, DARE, EMBASE, Google Scholar MEDLINE, OTSeeker, PEDro, PsycBITE, PsycINFO, and speechBITE. Two independent reviewers determined whether studies met the inclusion criteria. These were that (1) the study was a systematic review or the next best available; (2) it was a medical/allied health intervention; and (3) that more than 25% of participants were children with CP. Interventions were coded using the Oxford Levels of Evidence; GRADE; Evidence Alert Traffic Light; and the International Classification of Function, Disability and Health.

Results

Overall, 166 articles met the inclusion criteria (74% systematic reviews) across 64 discrete interventions seeking 131 outcomes. Of the outcomes assessed, 16% (21 out of 131) were graded ‘do it’ (green go); 58% (76 out of 131) ‘probably do it’ (yellow measure); 20% (26 out of 131) ‘probably do not do it’ (yellow measure); and 6% (8 out of 131) ‘do not do it’ (red stop). Green interventions included anticonvulsants, bimanual training, botulinum toxin, bisphosphonates, casting, constraint‐induced movement therapy, context‐focused therapy, diazepam, fitness training, goal‐directed training, hip surveillance, home programmes, occupational therapy after botulinum toxin, pressure care, and selective dorsal rhizotomy. Most (70%) evidence for intervention was lower level (yellow) while 6% was ineffective (red).

Interpretation

Evidence supports 15 green light interventions. All yellow light interventions should be accompanied by a sensitive outcome measure to monitor progress and red light interventions should be discontinued since alternatives exist.
Not all errors are created equally: specific ERN responses for errors originating from distractor‐based response retrieval
Authors: Wiswede Daniel , Rothermund Klaus , Frings Christian
Published: August 2013

The binding of stimulus (S) and response (R) features into S‐R episodes or ‘event files’ is a basic process for the regulation of behavior. Recent studies have shown that even irrelevant information is bound into event files. Associating distractors with responses leads to more efficient behavior if irrelevant and relevant stimuli are correlated, but leads to erroneous or inadequate behavior if irrelevant stimuli do not predict relevant ones. In this study, we investigated a control mechanism that is triggered by errors resulting from distractor‐based response retrieval. We tested whether the error‐related negativity (ERN) differs depending on the error source. In particular, we compared errors due to distractor‐based response retrieval with random errors. Errors originating from distractor‐based response retrieval elicited a stronger (more negative) ERN than did other types of errors, suggesting that the cognitive system responds in a unique way to this kind of error. This control mechanism is adaptive because it prevents the emergence of inadequate response routines.
The case for fencing remains intact
Authors: Packer C. , Swanson A. , Canney S. , Loveridge A. , Garnett S. , Pfeifer M. , Burton A. C. , Bauer H. , MacNulty D.
Published: August 2013

Creel et al. argue against the conservation effectiveness of fencing based on a population measure that ignores the importance of top predators to ecosystem processes. Their statistical analyses consider, first, only a subset of fenced reserves and, second, an incomplete examination of ‘costs per lion.’ Our original conclusions remain unaltered.
Reproductive strategies of Amazonian stream fishes and their fine‐scale use of habitat are ordered along a hydrological gradient
Authors: Espírito‐Santo Helder M. V. , Rodríguez Marco A. , Zuanon Jansen
Published: August 2013

Macroecological comparisons have shown that habitat characteristics have a major influence on the evolution of life‐history strategies of fishes in large river systems. Specifically, habitat variability and predictability seem to forge the reproductive strategies of fishes into a trilateral continuum with three main types: seasonal, opportunistic and equilibrium.

Despite the usefulness of such a broad categorisation, large‐scale patterns of trait distribution should ultimately be influenced by selection at smaller (i.e. individual) spatial scales. However, the scarcity of studies developed at the organismal scale leaves gaps in our understanding of how habitat characteristics affect life history and behavioural tactics of stream fishes.

We examined the fine‐scale spatial distribution of fishes in pristine Amazonian headwater streams over a full seasonal cycle to test whether segregation into main channel and associated temporary pond habitats was predictably related to hydrological variation and species’ life‐history traits.

Most species could not be unambiguously assigned to one of the three end points of the trilateral continuum, but seemingly occupied instead the intermediate multivariate space between the end points. However, species were clearly ordered along a gradient of relative habitat use, ranging from strict channel dwellers throughout the hydrological cycle to pond specialists, with some species occupying the ponds at high water levels. Hydrological effects on habitat use were significantly related to species’ reproductive strategies, with the strongest responses found in species with large eggs and seasonally concentrated reproduction, which were most abundant in ponds at high water levels.

We suggest that trophic limitations and hydrological characteristics of Amazonian headwater forest streams may severely limit the seasonal strategy, one of the end points of the trilateral model. The species‐specific habitat segregation reported here adds to the list of mechanisms, such as miniaturisation and isolation by distance, previously postulated to contribute to high diversity of stream fish faunas in the Amazon basin.
Role of copper in photochemical damage to hair
Authors: Marsh J. M. , Iveson R. , Flagler M. J. , Davis M. G. , Newland A. B. , Greis K. D. , Sun Y. , Chaudhary T. , Aistrup E. R.
Published: August 2013

Synopsis

Objective

The objective of this work was to identify whether low levels of redox metals such as copper will accelerate damage to hair on exposure to UV irradiation and whether this damage can be prevented.

Methods

The methods used were proteomics to measure the protein damage via protein loss after different periods of exposure and mass spectroscopy methods to identify specific marker peptides that are specifically created by this type of damage.

Results

In this work, we have developed new insights into the mechanism of UV damage using these proteomic methods. A marker fragment in the hair protein loss extract was identified (m/z = 1279) that is unique to UV exposure and increases with time of UV exposure. We have also identified for the first time in hair the role of exogenous copper in increasing UV damage both in terms of total protein degradation and also increased formation of the marker fragment and proposed a mechanism of action. It has been demonstrated that shampoo treatment containing a chelant such as N,N'‐ethylenediamine disuccinic acid (EDDS) reduced copper accumulation in hair.

Conclusion

This work provides evidence for the role of copper in UV‐induced damage to hair and strategies to reduce copper levels in hair using a chelant such as EDDS.
Fusobacterium nucleatum induces cytokine production through Toll‐like‐receptor‐independent mechanism
Authors: Quah S. Y. , Bergenholtz G. , Tan K. S.
Published: August 2013

Aim

To determine whether Fusobacterium nucleatum's ability to invade cells allows the bacteria to activate pro‐inflammatory response through cytosolic pattern recognition receptors, independent of surface Toll‐like receptors (TLRs).

Methodology

HEK293T cells, which lack endogenous TLRs, and overexpressing dominant negative myeloid differentiation primary response gene 88 (MyD88DN) protein, were infected with F. nucleatum and the production of interleukin‐8 (IL‐8) was determined. The necessity for intracellular invasion of the bacteria for cytokine production was also investigated by blocking bacterial invasion with cytochalasin D. The roles of NFĸB and p38 mitogen‐activated protein kinase (MAPK) and nucleotide‐binding oligomerization domain‐1 (NOD‐1) signalling pathways in F. nucleatum‐induced IL‐8 secretion were determined.

Results

Fusobacterium nucleatum‐infected HEK293T cells produced IL‐8 independent of the MYD88 signalling. This response was inhibited by preventing F. nucleatum invasion into HEK293T cells. p38 MAPK but not the NFĸB signalling pathway was required for F. nucleatum‐mediated IL‐8 production. HEK293T cells expressed NOD‐1 but not NOD‐2. Yet, inhibition of NOD‐1 signalling did not affect F. nucleatum‐induced IL‐8 secretion.

Conclusions

Fusobacterium nucleatum invasion led to cytokine production, which is mediated by the p38 MAPK signalling but independent of TLRs, NOD‐1, NOD‐2 and NFĸB signalling.
The interrupted V‐Y advancement flap for the reconstruction of the vulvovaginal defect
Authors: Sakamoto Yoshiaki , Nakajima Hideo , Imanishi Nobuaki , Kishi Kazuo
Published: August 2013

Background

High‐quality reconstruction of vulvovaginal defects after tumor excision is critical. Various techniques for vulvovaginal reconstruction have been described. However, these flaps are often bulky, and tip necrosis occasionally occurs. To reduce bulkiness and prevent flap necrosis, we have therefore developed an ideal approach using a fasciocutaneous flap that is advanced in a modified V‐Y fashion.

Materials and methods

The V‐Y flap is interrupted in the defect area by a bipedicled flap and therefore termed “the interrupted V‐Y advancement flap”.

Results

We used the interrupted V‐Y advancement flap to cover vulvovaginal defects in five patients who underwent surgical treatment for extramammary Paget's disease or carcinoma of the vulva. Each flap survived completely without complications.

Conclusions

This flap is easily elevated, not bulky, and reliable because it is supplied by the internal pudendal artery and vein without excessive skeletonization of the vascular pedicle; it also matches the local skin quality.
The frequency and seasonality of influenza and other respiratory viruses in Tennessee: two influenza seasons of surveillance data, 2010–2012
Authors: Landes Michelle B. , Neil R. Brock , McCool Susan S. , Mason Bryan P. , Woron Amy M. , Garman Robb L. , Smalley David L.
Published: August 2013

Background

In 2010, the Tennessee Department of Health, in collaboration with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), expanded influenza surveillance in Tennessee to include other respiratory viruses.

Objectives

To determine the prevalence and seasonality of influenza and other respiratory viruses during the influenza seasons of 2010–2012.

Methods

Nasal and nasopharangeal swabs/washings from persons with influenza‐like illness were collected across Tennessee. Influenza and other respiratory viruses were identified using a molecular‐based respiratory virus panel. Influenza A positives were subtyped using real‐time PCR according to the CDC protocol. Data were analyzed to describe frequency and seasonality of circulating strains.

Results

Of the 933 positive specimens, 60·3% were identified as influenza viruses, 19·8% rhinovirus/enterovirus, 8·6% respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), 5·8% metapneumovirus, 3·0% adenovirus, and 2·5% parainfluenza viruses. In the 2010–2011 season, influenza B was prominent during weeks 48–3, while influenza A(H1N1) was most frequently identified during weeks 4–10. Influenza A(H3N2) was present at lower levels during weeks 48–17. However, in the 2011–2012 season, overall numbers of influenza cases were reduced and influenza A (H3N2) was the most abundant influenza strain. The expanded surveillance for other respiratory viruses noted an increase in identified specimens from the first to the second season for adenovirus, metapneumovirus, RSV, and rhinovirus/enterovirus.

Conclusions

This study provides data of the influenza strains in circulation in Tennessee. It also establishes a baseline and time of year to expect other respiratory viruses that will aid in detecting outbreaks of non‐influenza respiratory viruses in Tennessee.
Rethinking Optical Fiber: New Demands, Old Glasses
Authors: Ballato John , Dragic Peter
Published: August 2013

From a materials perspective optical fibers are victims of their own success. The advent of the laser, 50 yr ago, coupled with an insatiable demand for information enabled by light‐based communications, ushered in a golden age of glass science and engineering. It is somewhat ironic that the staggering ubiquity of information today, which is carried globally and almost instantaneously via optical fibers, is enabled largely by one material—silica—into which only a few components are added. The richness of the Periodic Table has largely been forgotten. The purpose of this study was to rethink the materials that can be used to make commercially relevant optical fibers and describe the extraordinary properties, with stimulated Brillouin scattering being the primary exemplar, of fibers made from otherwise ordinary materials. In particular, this study focuses on the use of the molten core approach to optical fiber fabrication and the novel yet practical fibers that can be produced. This study is purposely provocative and aims to reassert the centrality (and simplicity and beauty) of glass science as the best approach to meet future challenges for high‐performance optical fibers.
Thermoelectric Properties of Pb‐Doped BiCuSeO Ceramics
Authors: Liu Yao‐chun , Lan Jin‐Le , Zhan Bin , Ding Junxuan , Liu Yong , Lin Yuan‐Hua , Zhang Boping , Nan Ce‐wen
Published: August 2013

A high‐performance thermoelectric BiCuSeO oxyselenides has been prepared by a simple fabrication approach. Phase composition and microstructure analysis indicate that the obtained ceramic samples are almost BiCuSeO phase with plate structure. Our results show that Pb‐doped BiCuSeO bulks have good electrical conductivity, large Seebeck coefficient, and low thermal conductivity. A large power factor ~672 μ/Wm/K2 at 573 K can be observed in the BiCuSeO ceramic by the 10% Pb doping, and the dimensionless figure of merit (ZT) can reach 0.95 at 873 K, which makes them promising candidates for thermoelectric applications.
Accuracy Assessment of Catheter Guidance Technology in Electrophysiology Procedures
Authors: BOURIER FELIX , FAHRIG REBECCA , WANG PAUL , SANTANGELI PASQUALE , KURZIDIM KLAUS , STROBEL NORBERT , MOORE TERI , HINKEL CAMERON , AL‐AHMAD AMIN
Published: August 2013

Accuracy of Catheter Guidance Technology in the EP Lab

Background

With increasing complexity in electrophysiology (EP) procedures, the use of electroanatomic mapping systems (EAMS) as a supplement to fluoroscopy has become common practice. This is the first study that evaluates spatial and point localization accuracy for 2 current EAMS, CARTO3® (Biosense Webster, Diamond Bar, CA, USA) and EnSite Velocity® (St. Jude Medical Inc., St. Paul, MN, USA), and for a novel overlay guidance (OG) software (Siemens AG, Forchheim, Germany) in a phantom experiment.

Methods and Results

A C‐arm CT scan was performed on an acrylic phantom containing holes and location markers. Spatial accuracy was assessed for each system using distance measurements involving known markers inside the phantom and properly placed catheters. Anatomical maps of the phantom were acquired by each EAMS, whereas the 3D‐based OG software superimposed an overlay image of the phantom, segmented from the C‐arm CT data set, onto biplane fluoroscopy. Registration processes and landmark measurements quantitatively assessed the spatial accuracy of each technology with respect to the ground truth phantom. Point localization performance was 0.49 ± 0.25 mm in OG, 0.46 ± 0.17 mm in CARTO3® and 0.79 ± 0.83 mm in EnSite®. The registration offset between virtual visualization and reality was 1.10 ± 0.52 mm in OG, 1.62 ± 0.77 mm in CARTO3® and 2.02 ± 1.21 mm in EnSite®. The offset to phantom C‐arm CT landmark measurements was 0.30 ± 0.26 mm in OG, 0.24 ± 0.21 mm in CARTO3® and 1.32 ± 0.98 mm in EnSite®.

Conclusions

Each of the evaluated EP guidance systems showed a high level of accuracy; the observed offsets between the virtual 3D visualization and the real phantom were below a clinically relevant threshold of 3 mm.
Does Health‐Related Quality of Life Predict Hospitalization or Mortality in Patients with Atrial Fibrillation?
Authors: SCHRON ELEANOR , FRIEDMANN ERIKA , THOMAS SUE A.
Published: August 2013

QOL Predicts Hospitalization and Mortality in AF

Background

Poor health‐related quality of life (QOL) is related to morbidity and mortality in coronary heart disease and ventricular arrhythmias as well as to mortality in patients with heart failure (HF) and atrial fibrillation (AF). This study examined the contributions of QOL to the prediction of 1‐year hospitalization and mortality in patients with AF, independent of HF.

Methods

This study used the public use dataset from the NHLBI/NIH AFFIRM randomized clinical trial. Patients enrolled in the QOL substudy (N = 693) were randomly assigned to rate or rhythm control. QOL was assessed with the Medical Outcomes Study 36‐item Short Form Health Survey (SF‐36) and the Quality of Life Index‐Cardiac Version (QLI‐CV). Data were analyzed with logistic regression to predict 1‐year hospitalization and Cox proportional hazards analysis to predict mortality.

Results

In the first year of participation in the study 37% (n = 256) were hospitalized; mortality was 14.3% (n = 93) with mean follow‐up of 3.5 years. Patients’ mean age was 69.8 ± 8.2 years, were largely male (62%), and white (93%). Patient histories included 70.8% hypertension, 38.2% coronary artery disease (CAD), and 23.7% HF. History of stroke, HF, rhythm control arm, lower SF‐36 mental component scores (MCS), and lower SF‐36 physical component scores (PCS) predicted hospitalization (P < 0.001). Diabetes, female gender, older age, CAD, hypertension, and lower PCS predicted mortality (P < 0.001).

Conclusion

QOL adds meaningful information beyond traditional biomedical factors to the prediction of mortality and/or hospitalization of patients with AF. Interventions for improving QOL and helping patients adapt to AF treatments may decrease hospitalization and improve survival.
The Structurally Related Auxin and Melatonin Tryptophan‐Derivatives and their Roles in Arabidopsis thaliana and in the Human Malaria Parasite Plasmodium falciparum
Authors: Koyama Fernanda C. , Carvalho Thais L. G. , Alves Eduardo , da Silva Henrique B. , de Azevedo Mauro F. , Hemerly Adriana S. , Garcia Célia R. S.
Published: August 2013

Indole compounds are involved in a range of functions in many organisms. In the human malaria parasite Plasmodium falciparum, melatonin and other tryptophan derivatives are able to modulate its intraerythrocytic cycle, increasing the schizont population as well as parasitemia, likely through ubiquitin‐proteasome system (UPS) gene regulation. In plants, melatonin regulates root development, in a similar way to that described for indoleacetic acid, suggesting that melatonin and indoleacetic acid could co‐participate in some physiological processes due to structural similarities. In the present work, we evaluate whether the chemical structure similarity found in indoleacetic acid and melatonin can lead to similar effects in Arabidopsis thaliana lateral root formation and P. falciparum cell cycle modulation, as well as in the UPS of gene regulation, by qRT‐PCR. Our data show that P. falciparum is not able to respond to indoleacetic acid either in the modulation of the intraerythrocytic cycle or in the gene regulation mediated by the UPS as observed for melatonin. The similarities of these indole compounds are not sufficient to confer synergistic functions in P. falciparum cell cycle modulation, but could interplay in A. thaliana lateral root formation.
Bacterial septicaemia in prerecruit edible crabs, Cancer pagurus L.
Authors: Smith A L , Whitten M M A , Hirschle L , Pope E C , Wootton E C , Vogan C L , Rowley A F
Published: August 2013

Juvenile edible crabs, Cancer pagurus L., were surveyed from Mumbles Head and Oxwich Bay in South Wales, UK, and the number of heterotrophic bacteria and vibrios in the hemolymph was determined. The percentage of crabs with hemolymph containing bacteria was variable over the survey with higher numbers of animals affected in summer than in winter. Post‐moult crabs contained significantly higher numbers of heterotrophic bacteria in the hemolymph than pre‐ and intermoult animals. Crabs with cuticular damage to the gills also had significantly higher numbers of bacteria in the hemolymph. Crabs were found to have a high prevalence of infection by the dinoflagellate, Hematodinium. Such animals had significantly fewer bacteria in the blood in comparison with Hematodinium‐free animals. Of the 463 crabs surveyed, only 3 individuals had hemolymph containing 2000 + CFU mL−1. Based on 16S rRNA gene sequences, two of these crabs contained a Vibrio pectenicida‐like isolate, while the other had a mixed assemblage of vibrios. Although 59% of the crabs surveyed had culturable bacteria in the hemolymph, the majority only had small numbers (<2000 CFU mL−1), suggesting that such infections may be of limited importance to the sustainability of the crab fishery in this region.