bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
PALB2 mutations in European familial pancreatic cancer families
Authors: Slater EP , Langer P , Niemczyk E , Strauch K , Butler J , Habbe N , Neoptolemos JP , Greenhalf W , Bartsch DK
Published: March 2010

Slater EP, Langer P, Niemczyk E, Strauch K, Butler J, Habbe N, Neoptolemos JP, Greenhalf W, Bartsch DK. PALB2 mutations in European pancreatic cancer families.

Recently, PALB2 was reported to be a new pancreatic cancer susceptibility gene as determined by exomic sequencing, as truncating PALB2 mutations were identified in 3 of 96 American patients with familial pancreatic cancer (FPC). Representing the European Registry of Hereditary Pancreatitis and Familial Pancreatic Cancer (EUROPAC) and the German National Case Collection for Familial Pancreatic Cancer (FaPaCa), we evaluated whether truncating mutations could also be detected in European FPC families. We have directly sequenced the 13 exons of the PALB2 gene in affected index patients of 81 FPC families. An index patient was defined as the first medically identified patient, stimulating investigation of other members of the family to discover a possible genetic factor. None of these patients carried a BRCA2 mutation. We identified three (3.7%) truncating PALB2 mutations, each producing different stop codons: R414X, 508‐9delAG and 3116delA. Interestingly, each of these three families also had a history of breast cancer. Therefore, PALB2 mutations might be causative for FPC in a small subset of European families, especially in those with an additional occurrence of breast cancer.
Molecular epidemiological survey of haemoglobinopathies in the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region of southern China
Authors: Xiong F , Sun M , Zhang X , Cai R , Zhou Y , Lou J , Zeng L , Sun Q , Xiao Q , Shang X , Wei X , Zhang T , Chen P , Xu X
Published: March 2010

Xiong F, Sun M, Zhang X, Cai R, Zhou Y, Lou J, Zeng L, Sun Q, Xiao Q, Shang X, Wei X, Zhang T, Chen P, Xu X. Molecular epidemiological survey of haemoglobinopathies in the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region of southern China.

Accurate and up‐to‐date data on the frequency of haemoglobinopathies among the populations of Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, where haemoglobinopathies are most endemic in China, are required. In our study, a total of 5789 samples obtained from members of the Han, Zhang, and Yao ethnic groups in six geographical areas of Guangxi Province were analysed systematically in terms of both haematological and molecular parameters. The results presented that the total heterozygote frequency of thalassaemias and other haemoglobinopathies was 24.51%, of which 17.55% was due to α‐thalassaemia, 6.43% to β‐thalassaemia, 0.38% to structural haemoglobin variants, and 0.16% to δ‐thalassaemia. The mutational spectrum among the local population for each type of disorder was described, including the first report on the true prevalence of three silent α thalassemia defects, −α3.7/(4.78%), −α4.2/(1.61%) and Hb Westmead (αWSα/) (1.57%) and of δ‐thalassemia resulting from five novel and two rare mutations never before identified in Chinese individuals. Comparison of the frequencies of α‐globin mutations among the ethnic groups showed that there was a statistically significant difference between the Han (15.71%) and Zhuang (20.12%), and between the Han (15.71%) and Yao (20.84%) ethnic groups. In addition, we have performed the first extensive study of haematological parameters of the Hb Westmead mutation using a group of Chinese subjects with compound heterozygosity for this variant and an α‐thalassaemia deletion. The knowledge gained in this study will enable us to estimate the health burden in this high‐risk population and to elucidate the various genetic alterations that underlie haemoglobinopathies.
Partial paternal uniparental disomy of chromosome 6 in monozygotic twins with transient neonatal diabetes mellitus and macroglossia
Authors: Suzuki S , Fujisawa D , Hashimoto K , Asano T , Maimaiti M , Matsuo K , Tanahashi Y , Mukai T , Fujieda K
Published: March 2010

Suzuki S, Fujisawa D, Hashimoto K, Asano T, Maimaiti M, Matsuo K, Tanahashi Y, Mukai T, Fujieda K. Partial paternal uniparental disomy of chromosome 6 in monozygotic twins with transient neonatal diabetes mellitus and macroglossia.

Transient neonatal diabetes mellitus (TNDM) usually develops within the first few weeks of life and resolves at a median age of 3 months. In most of the cases, TNDM is caused by the over‐expression of a paternally expressed imprinted PLAGL1 locus on chromosome 6q24. The most frequent manifestation other than TNDM is intrauterine growth retardation (IUGR), and in some cases macroglossia. We investigated monozygotic twins who had macroglossia without IUGR. Both of the twins developed insulin‐dependent hyperglycemia within the first week of life, which subsequently resolved. DNA profiling with polymerase chain reaction amplification was performed for polymorphic microsatellite markers of chromosome 6. The six informative markers, located between 6p24 and 6q15, showed normal biparental inheritance. However, the six distal informative markers, located between 6q23.2 and the 6q telomeric region, showed the absence of a maternal allele and the presence of a single paternal allele. The monosomy of the 6q telomeric region was not confirmed by chromosome banding showing 46, XX. These findings provide further evidence that partial paternal uniparental disomy of chromosome 6 (pUPD6) causes TNDM. The phenotypes other than diabetes observed in patients with partial pUPD6 may differ from those observed in patients with complete pUPD6.
Local adaptation does not always predict high mating success
Authors: CORREIA L. , YEAMAN S. , WHITLOCK M. C.
Published: March 2010

The hypothesis that adaptation to local environments can increase mating success was tested using ten replicate lines of Drosophila melanogaster adapted either to 16 °C or to 25 °C. Competitive mating trials at both temperatures were performed with males taken from a pair of lines, one adapted to each temperature. There was no average increase in mating success for males adapted to the local environment. Although one pair of lines showed the expected pattern, another pair showed the reverse pattern. More data are needed on this hypothesis, preferably with lines that have more strongly adapted to local environments.
Impact of plant flowering phenology on the cost/benefit balance in a nursery pollination mutualism, with honest males and cheating females
Authors: DUFAY M.
Published: March 2010

This study documents the flowering phenology and its potential consequences on a nursery pollination mutualism between a dioecious plant, in which honest male plants, but not cheating females, allow the specific pollinator to reproduce within inflorescences. Very few pollinators were found to emerge during plant anthesis, leading to a low (if any) potential benefit through pollen dispersal. This opens the question why male plants do not also cheat their pollinators. Female plants flowered late in the season, when many males had just achieved their own anthesis, which increased the efficiency of pollen transfer. Finally, some late‐flowering males reached their anthesis simultaneously with females, which open the possibility for pollinator to choose between honest males and cheating females. Nevertheless, female plants were found to produce fruits, even though fruit production was limited by pollen (and pollinator) supply, meaning that cheating was not entirely retaliated by the mutualistic partner.
Regulation of stress response is heritable and functionally linked to melanin‐based coloration
Authors: ALMASI B. , JENNI L. , JENNI‐EIERMANN S. , ROULIN A.
Published: March 2010

Sexual selection theory posits that ornaments can signal the genetic quality of an individual. Eumelanin‐based coloration is such an ornament and can signal the ability to cope with a physiological stress response because the melanocortin system regulates eumelanogenesis as well as physiological stress responses. In the present article, we experimentally investigated whether the stronger stress sensitivity of light than dark eumelanic individuals stems from differential regulation of stress hormones. Our study shows that darker eumelanic barn owl nestlings have a lower corticosterone release after a stressful event, an association, which was also inherited from the mother (but not the father) to the offspring. Additionally, nestlings sired by darker eumelanic mothers more quickly reduced experimentally elevated corticosterone levels. This provides a solution as to how ornamented individuals can be more resistant to various sources of stress than drab conspecifics. Our study suggests that eumelanin‐based coloration can be a sexually selected signal of resistance to stressful events.
Parasites and deleterious mutations: interactions influencing the evolutionary maintenance of sex
Authors: PARK A. W. , JOKELA J. , MICHALAKIS Y.
Published: March 2010

The restrictive assumptions associated with purely genetic and purely ecological mechanisms suggest that neither of the two forces, in isolation, can offer a general explanation for the evolutionary maintenance of sex. Consequently, attention has turned to pluralistic models (i.e. models that apply both ecological and genetic mechanisms). Existing research has shown that combining mutation accumulation and parasitism allows restrictive assumptions about genetic and parasite parameter values to be relaxed while still predicting the maintenance of sex. However, several empirical studies have shown that deleterious mutations and parasitism can reduce fitness to a greater extent than would be expected if the two acted independently. We show how interactions between these genetic and ecological forces can completely reverse predictions about the evolution of reproductive modes. Moreover, we demonstrate that synergistic interactions between infection and deleterious mutations can render sex evolutionarily stable even when there is antagonistic epistasis among deleterious mutations, thereby widening the conditions for the evolutionary maintenance of sex.
Cross‐resistance of Cry1Ab‐selected Asian corn borer to other Cry toxins
Authors: Xu L. , Wang Z. , Zhang J. , He K. , Ferry N. , Gatehouse A. M. R.
Published: March 2010

The Asian corn borer,Ostrinia furnacalis(Guenée) (Lepidoptera: Crambidae), is the most important insect pest of maize in China. Despite the proven track record of biotechBacillus thuringiensis(Bt) maize to provide an effective means to control lepidopteran pests such as the European corn borerOstrinia nubilalis(Hübner), these crops have not been commercialized in China. However, Cry1Ab‐ and Cry1F‐expressing maize derived from genetic transformation events MON810 (Monsanto),Bt11 (Syngenta) and TC1507 (Pioneer, DuPont) as well as Cry1Ah‐, Cry1A‐ (a Cry1Ab/Cry1Ac hybrid toxin), and Cry1Ac‐, Cry1Ie‐expressing maize developed by the Chinese institutions have been shown to effectively suppressO. furnacalisin field trials. The development of resistance in target pests is a major threat to the use ofBtmaize. A strain ofO. furnacalisselected with Cry1Ab protein incorporated into artificial diet developed more than 100‐fold resistance to Cry1Ab after 35 generations of selection, and readily consumed Cry1Ab‐expressing maize silks. Although LC50s of the selected insect strain were not progressively increased, and even decreased in the following generations, these insects (ACB‐AbR) could survive on Cry1Ab‐expressing maize tissue after 51 generations of selection. In addition, susceptibility of ACB‐AbR to a number of otherBttoxins to which the selected strains had not previously been exposed, was significantly decreased. The highest level of cross‐resistance was observed with Cry1Ah (131‐fold), followed by Cry1Ac (36‐fold). A low level of cross‐resistance (6‐fold) to Cry1F was also detected. In contrast, ACB‐AbR was equally susceptible to Cry1Ie as the unselected control strain. These results indicate that the availability of multiple toxins could improve resistance management strategies, provided that the potential for cross‐resistance among toxins is not an issue.
Giant fibrolipoma of the spermatic cord
Authors: Terada Tadashi
Published: March 2010

Fibrolipoma of the spermatic cord is extremely rare. A case of giant fibrolipoma of the right spermatic cord is reported here. A 68‐year‐old man noticed a mass in the right inguinal region, and was admitted to Shizuoka City Shimizu Hospital. Tumorectomy and right orchiectomy were performed. Grossly, the tumor was a well‐defined, yellowish white, solid, firm tumor measuring 13 × 10 × 9 cm. The tumor had a thin capsule. The tumor was attached to the right spermatic cord, and was remote from the right testis and epididymis. Microscopically, the tumor was composed of mature adipose tissue (40% in area) and collagenous fibrous tissue (60% in area). No lipoblasts were recognized, and on immunohistochemistry the tumor was negative for MDM2 and CDK4. Neither smooth muscle nor vascular proliferation was recognized. The tumor was diagnosed as giant fibrolipoma of the right spermatic cord. To the best of the author's knowledge, only two cases of fibrolipoma in the spermatic cord, scrotum, and testis have been reported in the English‐language literature.
Effective aerosol delivery during high‐frequency ventilation in neonatal pigs
Authors: SOOD Beena G. , SHEN Yimin , LATIF Zahid , GALLI Bob , DAWE Elizabeth J. , HAACKE E. Mark
Published: March 2010

Background and objective:  Pulmonary delivery of aerosols during high‐frequency oscillatory ventilation (HFOV) has not been studied in vivo. This study investigated the pulmonary delivery of aerosolized gadopentetate dimeglumine (Gd‐DTPA) in a HFOV circuit in piglets using MRI to visualize contrast excretion in the kidneys.

Methods:  Four ventilated piglets (3–7 days old, 1.7–2.4 kg at birth) received aerosolized Gd‐DTPA in a HFOV circuit for different durations of time (60, 30, 20 and 10 min). Aerosols were generated using the MiniHeart jet nebulizer. As MR‐compatible HFOV was not available, aerosolized Gd‐DTPA was administered in the HFOV circuit outside the MR suite followed by MRI 10–20 min later. T1‐weighted spin echo sequences were obtained using the Bruker/Siemens 4T MR scanner.

Results:  Enhancement of the kidneys was observed 10 min after aerosol initiation in piglets who received Gd‐DTPA aerosol for 60, 30 and 20 min in the HFOV circuit but not in the piglet who received aerosol for 10 min. Renal concentration of Gd‐DTPA, determined from the signal intensity, increased linearly with time until 40 min post Gd‐DTPA delivery.

Conclusions:  Effective pulmonary aerosol delivery during HFOV was confirmed by contrast visualization in the kidneys within 30 min of aerosol initiation reflecting, alveolar absorption, glomerular filtration and renal concentration.
CCL22 is involved in the recruitment of CD4+CD25high T cells into tuberculous pleural effusions
Authors: WU Cong , ZHOU Qiong , QIN Xue‐Jun , QIN Shou‐Ming , SHI Huan‐Zhong
Published: March 2010

Background and Objective:  CD4+CD25high regulatory T cells are increased in tuberculous pleural effusions (TPE). However, the mechanism by which CD4+CD25high T cells infiltrate into the pleural cavity is unknown. The aim of this study was to investigate whether the chemokines CCL22 and CCL17 are present in TPE, and the chemoattractant activity of these chemokines for infiltration of CD4+CD25high T cells into the pleural space.

Methods:  The concentrations of CCL22 and CCL17 were measured in pleural effusions from 33 patients with tuberculous pleurisy, 21 patients with pleural bacterial infections and 18 patients with transudative pleural effusions. T lymphocyte subsets in pleural effusions were assessed by flow cytometry. Pleural effusion cells were analysed for the expression of CCL22. The chemoattractant activity of CCL22 for CD4+CD25high T cells was assessed in vitro.

Results:  The frequency of CD4+CD25high T cells was significantly higher in TPE than in blood. High concentrations of CCL22 were detected in tuberculous effusions, but not in bacterial effusions or transudates. Macrophages and T cells in TPE expressed CCL22. Tuberculous pleural fluid was chemotactic for CD4+CD25high T cells in vitro, and anti‐CCL22 antibody partly inhibited this chemotactic activity.

Conclusions:  CCL22 appeared to be increased in TPE compared with bacterial pleural effusions or transudates. CCL22 may be responsible for the infiltration of CD4+CD25high T cells into the pleural space of patients with tuberculous pleurisy.
The long‐term impact of severe acute respiratory syndrome on pulmonary function, exercise capacity and health status
Authors: NGAI Jenny C. , KO Fanny W. , NG Susanna S. , TO Kin‐Wang , TONG Mabel , HUI David S.
Published: March 2010

Background and objective:  Severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) emerged in 2003 and its long‐term sequelae remain largely unclear. This study examined the long‐term outcome of pulmonary function, exercise capacity, health and work status among SARS survivors.

Methods:  A prospective cohort study of SARS patients at the Prince of Wales Hospital, Hong Kong was conducted, with serial assessments of lung function, 6MWD and 36 item Short Form General Health Survey at 3, 6, 12, 18 and 24 months after disease onset. The work status was also recorded.

Results:  Serial assessments were completed by 55 of the 123 (39.9%) subjects, of whom 27 were health‐care workers (HCW). The mean age of the group was 44.4 (SD 13.2) years and 19 (34.5%) were males. At 24 months, 10 (18.2%), 9 (16.4%), 6 (10.9%) and 29 (52.7%) subjects had FEV1, FVC, TLC and DLCO < 80% of predicted values, respectively. The mean (SD) 6MWD increased significantly from 439.0 (89.1) m at 3 months to 460.1 (102.8) m at 6 months (P 0.016) and became steady after 6 months. However, 6MWD and 36 item Short Form General Health Survey scores were lower than the normal population throughout the study. Moreover, 29.6% of HCW and 7.1% of non‐HCW had not returned to work 2 years after illness onset.

Conclusions:  This 2‐year study of a selected population of SARS survivors, showed significant impairment of DLCO, exercise capacity and health status persisted, with a more marked adverse impact among HCW.
Targeting abnormal airway vascularity as a therapeutical strategy in asthma
Authors: PARK Hee Sun , KIM Sun Young , KIM So Ri , LEE Yong Chul
Published: March 2010

Asthma is a chronic inflammatory disease of airways, characterized by airway hyperresponsiveness and airflow limitation with acute bronchoconstriction, swelling of the airway wall, chronic mucus plug formation and airway wall remodelling. Functional and structural changes in the vasculature of asthmatic airways have been documented, and the signalling mechanisms are complex and have recently attracted much attention. The vascular changes may affect inflammatory cell recruitment, airway hyperresponsiveness and the regulation of airway calibre, and further, the level of disease control. Many critical factors are involved in the pathophysiological regulation of vascular changes in bronchial asthma, and the actions of these factors must be very carefully orchestrated. By better understanding the complicated actions of each factor, we may be able to advance further in asthma treatment.
Elevated alveolar nitric oxide concentration after environmental challenge in hypersensitivity pneumonitis
Authors: SHIRAI Toshihiro , IKEDA Masaki , MORITA Satoru , ASADA Kazuhiro , SUDA Takafumi , CHIDA Kingo
Published: March 2010

We describe a 57‐year‐old male patient admitted to hospital with hypersensitivity pneumonitis (HP) that resolved without treatment. The total and alveolar nitric oxide (NO) concentrations were measured on initial admission and after re‐exposure to his home environment. Following environmental exposure he became ill again, alveolar NO concentration was increased to the same level as on initial admission and impaired pulmonary function and radiologic abnormalities were found. It suggested a diagnosis of environmentally induced HP. The clinical value of measuring alveolar NO as an acute‐phase reactant in HP is demonstrated in this patient.
CysA2: A candidate serodiagnostic marker for Mycobacterium tuberculosis infection
Authors: CHOI Go‐Eun , EOM Sun‐Ho , JUNG Ki‐Hwan , SON Ji‐Woong , SHIN A‐Rum , SHIN Sung‐Jae , KIM Ki‐Hye , CHANG Chulhun L. , KIM Hwa‐Jung
Published: March 2010

Background and objective:  It is important to identify and test serologically active antigens in order to devise a mixture of antigens or peptides that is most useful for serodiagnosis. This study evaluated the serodiagnostic potential of CysA2, which has not previously been described as a serological antigen, together with those of PstS1, HspX, antigen 85 complex and CFP‐10 proteins.

Methods:  Serum IgG antibody titres against each antigen and a mixture of the antigens were measured by ELISA, in subjects with pulmonary tuberculosis and in healthy control subjects.

Results:  CysA2 showed diagnostic value comparable to that of PstS1 and HspX. Mixtures of these three proteins provided the highest diagnostic sensitivity. CysA2 was useful for identifying patients who did not react to HspX or PstS1, and was most valuable in increasing the sensitivity of testing. Furthermore, CysA2 efficiently overcame the limitation associated with use of PstS1, that is, significantly lower sensitivity for subjects who are negative for acid‐fast bacilli.

Conclusions:  These findings suggest that CysA2 can be used in combination with HspX and/or PstS1 to increase the accuracy of tuberculosis diagnoses.
Drug‐resistant tuberculosis: Past, present, future
Authors: CHIANG Chen‐Yuan , CENTIS Rosella , MIGLIORI Giovanni Battista
Published: March 2010

In a population of Mycobacterium tuberculosis, random chromosomal mutation that results in genetic resistance to anti‐tuberculosis (TB) drugs occurs at a relatively low frequency. Anti‐TB drugs impose selection pressure so that mycobacterial mutants gradually outnumber susceptible bacilli and emerge as the dominant strains. Resistance to two or more anti‐TB drugs represents cumulative results of sequential mutation. The fourth report on global anti‐TB drug resistance provides the latest data on the extent of such problem in the world. The median prevalence of multi‐drug‐resistant TB (MDR‐TB) in new TB cases was 1.6%, and in previously treated TB cases 11.7%. Of the half a million MDR‐TB cases estimated to have emerged in 2006, 50% were in China and India. The optimal duration of any given combination of anti‐TB drugs for treatment of MDR‐ and extensively drug‐resistant TB (XDR‐TB) has not been defined in controlled clinical trials. Standardized treatment may be feasible for MDR‐TB patients not previously treated with second‐line drugs, but a different strategy needs to be applied in the treatment of MDR‐TB patients who have received second‐line drugs before. Unfortunately, the reliability of drug susceptibility testing of most second‐line anti‐TB drugs is still questionable. Drug‐resistant TB is not necessarily less virulent. Findings from modelling exercise warned that if MDR‐TB case detection and treatment rates increase to the World Health Organization target of 70%, without simultaneously increasing MDR‐TB cure rates, XDR‐TB prevalence could increase exponentially. Prevention of development of drug resistance must be accorded the top priority in the era of MDR‐/XDR‐TB.
Exercise‐induced wheeze: Fraction of exhaled nitric oxide‐directed management
Authors: COWAN Douglas C. , HEWITT Richard S. , COWAN Jan O. , PALMAY Rochelle , WILLIAMSON Avis , LUCAS Samuel J.E. , MURRELL Carissa J. , THOMAS Kate N. , TAYLOR D. Robin
Published: March 2010

Background and objective:  Exercise‐induced wheeze (EIW) is common. Several treatment options exist. Patients with low fraction of exhaled nitric oxide (FENO) are unlikely to be steroid‐responsive and might benefit from non‐steroidal therapies. We assessed: the efficacy of cromoglycate, formoterol and montelukast in patients with EIW and low FENO (<35 ppb) in a randomized cross‐over trial, and the efficacy of inhaled corticosteroid in a high FENO (>35 ppb) group.

Methods:  Patients had EIW and airway hyperresponsiveness (AHR) to mannitol and/or exercise. Those with low FENO (n = 19) received cromoglycate (20 mg inh. bd + before challenge tests), formoterol (12 µg inh. bd + before challenge tests) and montelukast (10 mg p.o. od), each for 2 weeks. Those with high FENO (n = 20) took inhaled fluticasone (500 µg) daily for 4 weeks. Primary end‐points were: 50% reduction in maximum FEV1 %fall (clinical protection) and decrease in AHR to mannitol.

Results:  In patients with low FENO, cromoglycate, formoterol and montelukast significantly decreased AHR to mannitol in 63%, 61% and 47% of patients, respectively. In this group, the magnitude of exercise‐induced bronchoconstriction (EIB) was significantly reduced with montelukast and formoterol; between‐treatment differences were not significant. Of 6/19 with low FENO and EIB, protection occurred in 67% (cromoglycate), 83% (formoterol) and 50% (montelukast), respectively. In the high FENO group, AHR to mannitol and EIB decreased significantly with fluticasone (P < 0.001, P = 0.005, respectively), and protection occurred in 7/8 (88%) with EIB.

Conclusions:  In patients with EIW and low FENO, the number of ‘responders’ to cromoglycate, formoterol and montelukast was similar. In a high FENO population the response to inhaled corticosteroid was highly significant and comparable to previous studies.
Descriptive analysis of emergency department oxygen use in acute exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease
Authors: Considine J. , Botti M. , Thomas S.
Published: March 2010

Background: Inconsistencies in oxygen therapy recommendations in acute exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) may result in variability in emergency department (ED) oxygen management of patients with COPD. The aim of this study was to describe oxygen management in the first 4 h of ED care for patients with exacerbation of COPD.

Methods: A retrospective medical record audit was conducted at four public and one private ED in Melbourne, Australia. Participants were 273 adult ED patients with COPD presenting with a primary complaint of shortness of breath from July 2006 to July 2007. Outcome measures were physiological data, including oxygen saturation (SpO2), oxygen delivery devices and flow rates on ED arrival, 1 and 4 h.

Results: Oxygen was used in 82.0% of patients. Patients who required oxygen had higher incidence of ambulance transport (P < 0.001), triage category 2 (P= 0.006), home oxygen use (P < 0.001), and increased work of breathing on ED arrival (P < 0.001), and higher median respiratory rate (P < 0.001) and heart rate (P= 0.001). SpO2 > 90% occurred in the majority of patients (87.5%; 96.4%; 95.6%); however, a considerable number of patients with SpO2 < 90% were not given oxygen (61.8%; 30%; 45.5%).

Conclusions: A number of patients with documented hypoxaemia were not given oxygen and there may be variables other than oxygen saturation that may influence oxygen use. Future research should focus on increasing the evidence‐based supporting oxygen use and better understanding of clinicians' oxygen decision‐making in patients with COPD.
Herbivory enhances positive effects of plant genotypic diversity
Authors: Parker John D. , Salminen Juha‐Pekka , Agrawal Anurag A.
Published: March 2010

Ecology Letters (2010) 13: 553–563

Both plant diversity and vertebrate herbivores can impact plant fitness and ecosystem functioning, however their interactions have not been explicitly tested. We manipulated plant genotypic diversity of the native plant Oenothera biennis and monitored its survivorship and lifetime fitness with and without one of its major vertebrate consumers, white‐tailed deer Odocoileus virginianus. Intense but unmanipulated herbivory by meadow voles Microtus pennsylvanicus killed over 70% of nearly 4000 experimental plants. However, plants grown in genotypically diverse patches suffered fewer vole attacks and had higher survival and reproductive output than plants in monoculture. Moreover, positive effects of genotypic diversity were enhanced by the presence of deer, indicating a non‐additive interaction between diversity and trophic‐level complexity. Genetic selection analyses showed that the selective value of ecologically important traits depended on plant diversity and exposure to deer, demonstrating that community complexity can promote fitness through multiple ecologically and evolutionarily important feedbacks.
Sex‐dependent selection on an autosomal melanic female ornament promotes the evolution of sex ratio bias
Authors: Roulin Alexandre , Altwegg Res , Jensen Henrik , Steinsland Ingelin , Schaub Michael
Published: March 2010

Ecology Letters (2010) 13: 616–626

Sex‐dependent selection often leads to spectacularly different phenotypes in males and females. In species in which sexual dimorphism is not complete, it is unclear which benefits females and males derive from displaying a trait that is typical of the other sex. In barn owls (Tyto alba), females exhibit on average larger black eumelanic spots than males but members of the two sexes display this trait in the same range of possible values. In a 12‐year study, we show that selection exerted on spot size directly or on genetically correlated traits strongly favoured females with large spots and weakly favoured males with small spots. Intense directional selection on females caused an increase in spot diameter in the population over the study period. This increase is due to a change in the autosomal genes underlying the expression of eumelanic spots but not of sex‐linked genes. Female‐like males produced more daughters than sons, while male‐like females produced more sons than daughters when mated to a small‐spotted male. These sex ratio biases appear adaptive because sons of male‐like females and daughters of female‐like males had above‐average survival. This demonstrates that selection exerted against individuals displaying a trait that is typical of the other sex promoted the evolution of specific life history strategies that enhance their fitness. This may explain why in many organisms sexual dimorphism is often not complete.
STEROIDS AND HOME RUNS
Authors: DE VANY ARTHUR
Published: March 2010

There has been no change in Major League Baseball home run hitting for 45 yr, in spite of the new records. Players hit with no more power now than before. Records are the result of chance variations in at bats, home runs per hit, and other factors. The clustering of records is implied by the intermittency of the law of home runs. Home runs follow a stable Paretian distribution with infinite variance. The shape and scale of the distribution have not changed over the years. The greatest home run hitters are as rare as great scientists, artists, or composers. (JEL A10, C02, C16, C52, L51)
Varieties of National Metonymy in Media Accounts of International Mergers and Acquisitions
Authors: Riad Sally , Vaara Eero
Published: March 2010

abstract

International mergers and acquisitions (M&As) often invoke national identification and national cultural differences. We argue that metonymy is a central linguistic resource through which national cultural identities and differences are reproduced in media accounts of international M&As. In this paper, we focus on two revealing cases: the acquisition of American IBM Personal Computer Division (PCD) by the Chinese company Lenovo and the acquisition of American Anheuser‐Busch (A‐B) by the Belgian–Brazilian company InBev. First, we identify the forms, functions, and frequencies of national metonymy in media accounts of these cases. We present a typology that classifies varieties of national metonymy in international M&As. Second, we demonstrate how these metonyms combine with metaphor to generate evocative imagery, engaging wit, and subversive irony. Our findings show that national metonymy contributes to the construction of emotive frames, stereotypes, ideological differences, and threats. Combinations of national metonymy with metaphor also provide powerful means to construct cultural differences. However, combinations of metonymy with wit and irony enable the play on meanings that overturns and resists national and cultural stereotypes. This is the first study to unpack the deployment of metonymy in accounts of international M&As. In doing so, it also opens up new avenues for research into international management and the analysis of tropes in management and organization.
STRATEGIC EXPORT POLICY IN VERTICALLY RELATED MARKETS
Authors: Kawabata Yasushi
Published: March 2010

This paper analyses how strategic export policies are affected by introducing an imperfectly competitive intermediate good into a Bertrand duopoly model with product differentiation, where a home and a foreign final‐good firm export to a third‐country market. It is shown that when the home and foreign markets for the intermediate good are segmented, the optimal export policy towards the final good is a tax. In contrast, under integrated markets, the optimal export intervention is a subsidy. Whether bilateral export intervention is welfare improving compared with free trade, depends on the degree of product differentiation between the home and foreign final goods.
COOPERATIVE MANAGERIAL DELEGATION, R&D AND COLLUSION
Authors: Pal Rupayan
Published: March 2010

Existing literature on managerial delegation indicates that collusive outcomes can be obtained in an oligopoly game through cooperative managerial delegation. In contrast, this paper shows that, if managers are delegated to choose R&D, in addition to choosing production levels, full‐collusive outcomes cannot be achieved through cooperative delegation. Moreover, (i) under cooperative delegation, semi‐collusion always yields lower profit, higher R&D, higher price and lower social welfare than that in the case of competition and (ii) cooperative delegation leads to a higher profit lower R&D, higher price and lower social welfare than the no delegation case, irrespective of product market conduct.
FIRM SIZE AND PRICING POLICY
Authors: Chowdhury Prabal Roy
Published: March 2010

We relate pricing policy of firms to their size, where firm size is interpreted as the size of the clientele served by the concerned firm. We argue that a firm with a large clientele faces a more severe reputational backlash if it ‘reneges’, i.e., deviates from its earlier price offer. This allows the firm to effectively commit to its offers, leading to a unique equilibrium without delay. Interestingly, this equilibrium corresponds to the equilibrium of the related model that does not allow for reneging possibilities. For smaller firms, however, the reputational effects are much less intense, and consequently the equilibria may involve deviation possibilities. In this case, the equilibria are non‐unique and may involve delays as well.
NOMINAL WAGE INDEXATION, QUASI‐EQUILIBRIA AND REAL WAGE DYNAMICS
Authors: Guerrazzi Marco
Published: March 2010

In contrast to the traditional static approach to indexation, this paper analyses the dynamic consequences for real wages of the mechanism that links nominal wages to inflation. Revisiting a contribution by Dehez and Fitoussi on macroeconomic fluctuations, I analyse a monetary overlapping generations small open economy in which full indexation is interpreted as the occurrence of a dynamic ‘quasi‐equilibrium’. In the suggested framework, the nominal wage is linked to the inflation rate by a specific indexation formula whose shape relies on unions' bargaining positions. Assuming a constant peg for the real interest rate and the superneutrality of money, I show that the economy has a unique long‐run quasi‐equilibrium allocation whose stability depends only on the behaviour of the monetary authority. Moreover, I show how the operating of a ‘wage‐aspiration effect’ might lead to the persistence of involuntary unemployment.
Exploring the Relationship Between Modified Output and Working Memory Capacity
Authors: Mackey Alison , Adams Rebecca , Stafford Catherine , Winke Paula
Published: March 2010

This study examines the relationship between learners’ production of modified output and their working memory (WM) capacity. The task‐based interactions of 42 college‐level, native English‐speaking learners of Spanish as a foreign language were examined. A relationship was found between learners’ WM test scores and their tendency to modify output. Specifically, greater processing capacity was related to greater production of modified output during interaction.
Data‐Driven Learning: Taking the Computer Out of the Equation
Authors: Boulton Alex
Published: March 2010

Despite considerable research interest, data‐driven learning (DDL) has not become part of mainstream teaching practice. It may be that technical aspects are too daunting for teachers and students, but there seems to be no reason why DDL in its early stages should not eliminate the computer from the equation by using prepared materials on paper—considerably easier for the novice learner to handle. This article reports on an experiment to see how lower level learners cope with such paper‐based corpus materials and a DDL approach compared to more traditional teaching materials and practices. Pretests and posttests show that both are effective compared to control items, with the DDL items showing the greatest improvement, and questionnaire responses are more favorable to the DDL activities. The results are argued to show that printed materials can counter a number of potential barriers and may thus enable DDL to reach a wider audience.
Bilingual Children's Acquisition of English Verb Morphology: Effects of Language Exposure, Structure Complexity, and Task Type
Authors: Paradis Johanne
Published: March 2010

This study investigated whether bilingual‐monolingual differences would be apparent in school‐age children's use and knowledge of English verb morphology and whether differences would be influenced by amount of exposure to English, complexity of the morphological structure, or the type of task given. French‐English bilinguals (mean age = 6;10) were given a standardized test with two production probes and a grammaticality judgment probe for English verb morphology. Results indicated that all three factors—exposure, complexity, and task type—influenced how closely bilinguals approached monolingual norms. These results are consistent withGathercole's (2007)constructivist model of bilingual acquisition for the exposure and complexity effects. The task effects can be explained in view of cognitive differences in processing between bilinguals and monolinguals and, thus, are also argued to be compatible with a constructivist model. The implications of bilingual‐monolingual differences for language assessment are discussed.
Remanded in Custody: An Analysis of Recent Trends in England and Wales
Authors: PLAYER ELAINE , ROBERTS JULIAN , JACOBSON JESSICA , HOUGH MIKE , ROBOTTOM JAMES
Published: March 2010

Abstract: This article present statistics on remand in custody in England and Wales. Currently, these statistics are spread across a wide range of government statistical publications, making it challenging to determine trends. We demonstrate that decisions to remand in custody are not a major contribution to prison overcrowding. However, it is important from perspectives both of human rights and economy to keep trends under close review, and to search for better ways of reducing the remand population in prisons. At the end of the article we review a number of strategies designed to reduce the remand population in this jurisdiction.
The relationship of flow cytometry results with classical measures of bacterial counts in raw refrigerated milk
Authors: CASSOLI LAERTE DAGHER , FRANCISCHETTI GRAZIELA , MACHADO PAULO FERNANDO , MOURÃO GERSON BARRETO
Published: March 2010

Bulk milk was collected from 100 farms throughout the year and analysed after storage for either 24, 48 or 72 h, using flow cytometry. The total bacterial counts obtained by two methods – flow cytometry and standard plate count were compared and the conversion relationship between them was assessed: the results showed no effect of the age of the samples relationship between these two methods.
Traditional and innovative production methods of Fiore Sardo cheese: a comparison of microflora with a PCR‐culture technique
Authors: COMUNIAN ROBERTA , PABA ANTONIO , DAGA ELISABETTA S , DUPRE’ ILARIA , FRANCESCA SCINTU MARIA
Published: March 2010

Fiore Sardo is a cheese manufactured on farms in Sardinia from raw ewe’s milk, with Protected Designation of Origin (PDO). The aim of the study was to evaluate the effects of introducing a whey starter culture and specific mechanised cutting operations (innovative) vs traditional manufacture on the microbiological composition of the cheese, as assessed by conventional and molecular (PCR‐Culture Tecnique) methods. Five batches were manufactured by innovative and traditional methods and there was no significant difference between the cheeses.
Two modes of mitochondrial dysfunction lead independently to lifespan extension in Caenorhabditis elegans
Authors: Yang Wen , Hekimi Siegfried
Published: March 2010

In Caenorhabditis elegans, longevity is increased by a partial loss‐of‐function mutation in the mitochondrial complex III subunit gene isp‐1. Longevity is also increased by RNAi against the expression of a variety of mitochondrial respiratory chain genes, including isp‐1, but it is unknown whether the isp‐1(qm150) mutation and the RNAi treatments trigger the same underlying mechanisms of longevity. We have identified nuo‐6(qm200), a mutation in a conserved subunit of mitochondrial complex I (NUDFB4). The mutation reduces the function of complex I and, like isp‐1(qm150), results in low oxygen consumption, slow growth, slow behavior, and increased lifespan. We have compared the phenotypes of nuo‐6(qm200) to those of nuo‐6(RNAi) and found them to be distinct in crucial ways, including patterns of growth and fertility, behavioral rates, oxygen consumption, ATP levels, autophagy, and resistance to paraquat, as well as expression of superoxide dismutases, mitochondrial heat‐shock proteins, and other gene expression markers. RNAi treatments appear to generate a stress and autophagy response, while the genomic mutation alters electron transport and reactive oxygen species metabolism. For many phenotypes, we also compared isp‐1(qm150) to isp‐1(RNAi) and found the same pattern of differences. Most importantly, we found that, while the lifespan of nuo‐6, isp‐1 double mutants is not greater than that of the single mutants, the lifespan increase induced by nuo‐6(RNAi) is fully additive to that induced by isp‐1(qm150), and the increase induced by isp‐1(RNAi) is fully additive to that induced by nuo‐6(qm200). Our results demonstrate that distinct and separable aspects of mitochondrial biology affect lifespan independently.
THE ECONOMIC GAINS OF TRADING STOCKS AROUND HOLIDAYS
Authors: Tsiakas Ilias
Published: March 2010

I assess the economic gains of strategies that account for the effect of holiday calendar effects on the daily returns and volatility of the 30 stocks in the Dow Jones Industrial Average index. The dynamic strategies use forecasts from stochastic volatility models that distinguish between regular trading days and different types of holidays. More important, I assess the economic value of conditioning on holiday effects and find that a risk‐averse investor will pay a high performance fee to switch from a dynamic portfolio strategy that does not account for the effect of holidays on daily conditional expected returns and volatility to a strategy that does. This result is robust to reasonable transaction costs.
DYNAMIC ORDER SUBMISSION AND HERDING BEHAVIOR IN ELECTRONIC TRADING
Authors: Ng Wing Lon
Published: March 2010

I analyze the dynamic trading behavior of market participants by developing a bivariate modeling framework for describing the arrival process of buy and sell orders in a limit order book. The model contains an extended autoregressive conditional duration model with a flexible generalized Beta distribution to explain the duration process, combined with a dynamic logit model to capture the traders’ order submission strategy. I find that the state of the order book as well as the speed of the order arrival have a significant influence on the order placement, inducing temporal asymmetric market movements.
OPTIMAL PORTFOLIO SELECTION WITH A SHORTFALL PROBABILITY CONSTRAINT: EVIDENCE FROM ALTERNATIVE DISTRIBUTION FUNCTIONS
Authors: Akcay Yalcin , Yalcin Atakan
Published: March 2010

We propose a new approach to optimal portfolio selection in a downside risk framework that allocates assets by maximizing expected return subject to a shortfall probability constraint, reflecting the typical desire of a risk‐averse investor to limit the maximum likely loss. Our empirical results indicate that the loss‐averse portfolio outperforms the widely used mean‐variance approach based on the cumulative cash values, geometric mean returns, and average risk‐adjusted returns. We also evaluate the relative performance of the loss‐averse portfolio with normal, symmetric thin‐tailed, symmetric fat‐tailed, and skewed fat‐tailed return distributions in terms of average return, risk, and average risk‐adjusted return.
SWITCHING TO A TEMPORARY CALL AUCTION IN TIMES OF HIGH UNCERTAINTY
Authors: Abad David , Pascual Roberto
Published: March 2010

We evaluate a stock‐specific circuit breaker implemented in several European stock exchanges, which consists of a short‐lived call auction triggered by intraday stock‐specific price limits. It differs from U.S. trading halts in that it is short‐lived and nondiscretionary, and a trading mechanism (continuous or discrete) is always going. It differs from daily price limits in that trade prices are not restricted once the limit is hit. Intraday price ranges are smaller and adjusted to the recent volatility, so that limit hits are more frequent. We contribute to the debate about circuit breakers by enlarging the span of these mechanisms studied.
Glycosidated phospholipids: uncoupling of signalling pathways at the plasma membrane
Authors: Danker Kerstin , Reutter Werner , Semini Geo
Published: March 2010

Cell expansion and metastasis are considered hallmarks of tumour progression. Therefore, efforts have been made to develop novel anti‐cancer drugs that inhibit both the proliferation and the motility of tumour cells. Synthetic alkylphospholipids, compounds with aliphatic side chains that are ether linked to a glycerol backbone, are structurally derived from platelet‐activating factor and represent a new class of drugs with anti‐proliferative properties in tumour cells. These compounds do not interfere with the DNA or mitotic spindle apparatus of the cell. Instead, they are incorporated into cell membranes, where they accumulate and interfere with lipid metabolism and lipid‐dependent signalling pathways. Recently, it has been shown that the most commonly studied alkylphospholipids inhibit proliferation by inducing apoptosis in malignant cells while leaving normal cells unaffected. This review focuses on a novel group of synthetic alkylphospholipids, the glycosidated phospholipids, which contain carbohydrates or carbohydrate‐related molecules at the sn‐2 position of the glycerol backbone. Members of this subfamily also exhibit anti‐proliferative capacity and modulate the cell adhesion, differentiation, and migration of tumour cells. Among this group, Ino‐C2‐PAF shows the highest efficacy and low cytotoxicity. Apart from its anti‐proliferative effect, Ino‐C2‐PAF strongly reduces cell motility via its inhibitory effect on the phosphorylation of the cytosolic tyrosine kinases FAK and Src. Signalling pathways under the control of the FAK/Src complex are normally required for both migration and proliferation and play a prominent role in tumour progression. We intend to highlight the potential of glycosidated phospholipids, especially Ino‐C2‐PAF, as a promising new group of drugs for the treatment of hyperproliferative and migration‐based skin diseases.