bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Writing the self
Authors: Dillon Lisette
Published: December 2011

While much narrative inquiry is concerned with issues of self and identity, doing study on the processes (the how) of self-making offers ongoing challenges to methodology. This article explores the creation of a dialogic space that assisted young adolescents to write about themselves and their daily lives using email journals as an alternative to face-to-face interviews. With the researcher acting as a listener-responder, and in the absence of researcher-designed questions, a dynamic field was opened up for participant-led self-making to emerge over a six month period of self-reflective written expression. The article describes a shared email relationship based on a dialogic pattern of thinking, writing, listening and response intended to foster participants’ voices as ontological narratives of self. Findings show the use of email journals created a synergy for self-disclosure and a safe space for self-expression where the willingness of participants to be themselves was encouraged. The self-representations of a specific group of gifted young adolescents thus emerged as written versions of “who” they are — offering data that differs from interview approaches and contributing to discussion of the value of ontology narratives.
Constructing the (m)other
Authors: Lalvani Priya
Published: December 2011

This qualitative study explored the ways in which mothers of children with Down syndrome interpreted their experiences of motherhood. The narratives of 19 mothers were analyzed. The findings indicate that their identities as mothers were negotiated in the context of the sociocultural meaning of disability and dominant narratives on motherhood. In institutional and interpersonal discourses, they became positioned as other. Their narratives shed light on their resistance to otherness, their contextualized understanding of mothering a child with Down syndrome, and the ways in which they negotiated access to the constructed category of normative motherhood. The study suggests that a conceptual shift is needed in understanding the familial experience of raising a child with Down syndrome. Moving away from assumptions of negative outcomes for these families, professionals need to acknowledge the embeddedness of their experiences in sociocultural beliefs and practices that devalue children with disabilities.
Trouble — In, around, and between narratives
Authors: Daiute Colette
Published: December 2011

This essay defines narrating in terms of trouble — narrators’ interaction in the structure of narratives, with the (often troubling) contexts around narratives, and management of expectations and possibilities in the process between narratives. I frame this discussion about the narrating process as an urgent concern for designers of developmental research and practice in the rapidly changing, diverse human environments of this global era. Since narrating in a tool for individual and societal sense-making, developmental activities engage relational complexity and tension.
Narrating organization studies
Authors: Czarniawska Barbara
Published: December 2011

This chapter depicts a personal and a professional trajectory caused by the narrative turn in the social sciences. It went from an original enchantment to a more distanced and nuanced approach, but in the end the narrative take established itself firmly in social studies, in this chapter exemplified by organization studies. Of great importance were the charismatic guides to the narrative, such as Jerome Bruner and Alasdair MacIntyre, who translated narratology’s main notions for the use of social scientists.
Narrative inquiry as cultural psychology
Authors: Bhatia Sunil
Published: December 2011

In this article, I re-examine Jerome Bruner’s vision of narrative psychology that he laid out over two decades ago. In particular, I argue that narrative inquiry must focus on identities located in sociocultural contexts of transnational movement and migration. The contact of self with multiple forms of otherness — both subtle and violent — play a significant role in identity formation. I discuss two examples from the Somalian and Indian diaspora to show how the study of these fractured, shifting, and hybridized identities provide a very valuable site from which narrative psychology has an opportunity to remake itself as a field that continues to be relevant in a world that is rapidly becoming transnational, diverse, and global.
Post-narrative — An appeal
Authors: Woods Angela
Published: December 2011

As the narrative turn enters its fourth decade, the task of identifying the limits of narrative and of exploring alternative approaches to interpreting the self and social world is growing in urgency. This article calls for scholars in the medical humanities to undertake this project through critically (re)engaging the work of Galen Strawson, Paul Atkinson and Crispin Sartwell.
Une traduction française inconnue du Dialogus creaturarum
Authors: Brun Laurent
Published: December 2011

Aux deux traductions françaises du Dialogus creaturarum qui étaient connues jusqu’à ce jour vient s’ajouter une troisième, en vers, composée par un certain “maistre Jehan Gontier” entre 1539 et 1549 et récemment découverte dans le manuscrit français 1552 de la Bibliothèque nationale de France. Intitulée la Destruction des vices, cette version assez fidèle du Dialogus latin se distingue d’abord par la multiplicité des prologues adressés aux différents dédicataires du texte mais aussi par les efforts que l’auteur a apportés pour transposer le texte latin sous les formes métriques les plus diverses.
The Gospel according to Aucupre, or Réécriture on the cheap
Authors: Levy John F.
Published: December 2011

Previous commentators on the prologue to the gamma version of the Roman de Renart have dealt with it brilliantly but selectively, thereby omitting certain features of interest. After a brief initial look at authorial tone in the other families – alpha, beta and composite – we focus on the author’s effort to “cyclify” the gamma version and, especially, on how we read the gamma version’s two exemplary tales. A diverse set of new problems arises in regard to the prologue: how the pastiche or parody of the chansons de geste in the Renart mock epic may have been received by the medieval public, why Ysengrin keeps coming back for more punishment, why escharsetez ‘stinginess’ receives so much emphasis in the list of sins, and what lies hidden in the mysterious name Aucupre. The focusing device of the present study is tonality.
Body divisions in Great Andamanese
Authors: Abbi Anvita
Published: December 2011

Great Andamanese has a dual semantic system for body part categorization: one that is expressed in various terms for concrete body parts and another more abstract one that is expressed in grammaticalized morphemes represented in seven body division possessive classes that classify body part terms based on the area of the body they occupy. These classes also classify other inalienables, with some semantic connection to the body part system. Further, body part semantics pervade the lexical and grammatical system of the language as this dual system is extended to other form classes, viz. verbs, adjectives and adverbs. The body division class markers occur as proclitics attached to all content word classes. Thus, all content words in Great Andamanese can easily be divided into bound and free, the former necessarily imbued with the semantics of “inherency” and “dependency”. I conclude by proposing that the Great Andamanese conceptualize their world through these interdependencies and hence the grammar of the language encodes this important phenomenon in every part of speech expressing referential, attributive and predicative meaning.
‘So, well, whatever’
Authors: McKee Rachel , Wallingford Sophia
Published: December 2011

This study investigates the frequency and functions of a ubiquitous form in conversational NZSL discourse glossed as palm-up. Dictionaries show that it is a polysemous vocabulary item in NZSL, although many of its uses in discourse are not accounted for in the lexicon. Analysis of discourse data from 20 signers shows it to be the second most frequently occuring item, and to exhibit phonological variation. We identify and discuss four (non-exclusive) functions of palm-up in this data: cohesive, modal, interactive, and manual frame for unpredictable mouthings (codemixing). Correspondences in form, linguistic context, and meaning are found between uses of palm-up in NZSL, similar forms in other signed languages, and co-speech palm gestures. The study affirms previous descriptions of this form as having properties of both gesture and sign, and suggests that it also has features of a discourse marker.
Variation in mouth actions with manual signs in Sign Language of the Netherlands (NGT)
Authors: Bank Richard , Crasborn Onno A. , van Hout Roeland
Published: December 2011

Mouthings and mouth gestures are omnipresent in Sign Language of the Netherlands (NGT). Mouthings in NGT commonly have their origin in spoken Dutch. We conducted a corpus study to explore how frequent mouthings in fact are in NGT, whether there is variation within and between signs in mouthings, and how frequent temporal reduction occurs in mouthings. Answers to these questions can help us classify mouthings as being specified in the sign lexicon or as being instances of code-blending. We investigated a sample of 20 frequently occurring signs. We found that each sign in the sample co-occurs frequently with a mouthing, usually that of a specific Dutch lexical item. On the other hand, signs show variation in the way they co-occur with mouthings and mouth gestures.

By using a relatively large amount of natural data, we succeeded in gaining more insight into the way mouth actions are utilized in sign languages.
Age Determination of the Yellow Irish Lord: Management Implications as a Result of New Estimates of Maximum Age
Authors: Hutchinson Charles E. , TenBrink Todd T.
Published: December 2011

The yellow Irish lord Hemilepidotus jordani is an abundant, large sculpin found in the eastern Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands, where it is one of the most commonly caught sculpins. Interest in ecosystem-based fisheries management has increased, prompting the need to collect life history information from nontarget or incidental bycatch species. Sagittal otoliths were used to age 776 yellow Irish lords sampled during 2005 and 2006 in summer bottom trawl surveys conducted by the Alaska Fisheries Science Center in the eastern Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands regions. Annuli viewed on otolith surfaces and thin sections were enumerated to arrive at estimates of age. Specimens ranged from age 1 to a maximum of age 28, more than doubling the previously published estimate of longevity for this species. Age estimates from both regions were used to calculate separate sex-specific total mortality rates for yellow Irish lords based on catch-curve analysis. These new age estimates have resulted in potential changes in yellow Irish lord harvest recommendations, demonstrating the importance of age and growth information to fisheries managers.

Received January 18, 2011; accepted August 4, 2011
Smaug1 mRNA-silencing foci respond to NMDA and modulate synapse formation
Authors: Baez María Verónica , Luchelli Luciana , Maschi Darío , Habif Martín , Pascual Malena , Thomas María Gabriela , Boccaccio Graciela Lidia
Published: December 2011

Mammalian Smaug1/Samd4A is a translational repressor. Here we show that Smaug1 forms mRNA-silencing foci located at postsynapses of hippocampal neurons. These structures, which we have named S-foci, are distinct from P-bodies, stress granules, or other neuronal RNA granules hitherto described, and are the first described mRNA-silencing foci specific to neurons. RNA binding was not required for aggregation, which indicates that S-foci formation is not a consequence of mRNA silencing. N-methyl-d-aspartic acid (NMDA) receptor stimulation provoked a rapid and reversible disassembly of S-foci, transiently releasing transcripts (the CaMKIIα mRNA among others) to allow their translation. Simultaneously, NMDA triggered global translational silencing, which suggests the specific activation of Smaug1-repressed transcripts. Smaug1 is expressed during synaptogenesis, and Smaug1 knockdown affected the number and size of synapses, and also provoked an impaired response to repetitive depolarizing stimuli, as indicated by a reduced induction of Arc/Arg3.1. Our results suggest that S-foci control local translation, specifically responding to NMDA receptor stimulation and affecting synaptic plasticity.
Ethnography as Relation: The Significance of the French Caribbean in the Ethnographic Writing of Michel Leiris
Authors: Britton Celia
Published: December 2011

This article considers two kinds of connection between Leiris and the French Caribbean: that between his ideas on ethnography and Martinican Édouard Glissant's concept of Relation; and the impact that his encounter with the French Caribbean had on those ideas. In 1950 Leiris develops a conception of ethnography as a
partnership
between Western and non-Western societies in which the ethnographer is not only politically involved in the societies she or he studies, but also trains native ethnographers so that the discipline can become a dialogue — or Relation — between the perspectives of ‘self’ and ‘other’ on the self's and the other's cultures. In two important articles on Leiris, Glissant comments approvingly on Leiris's formulation of the difference between his earlier phantasy of identification with the colonized and his new politicized stance. In fact, however, the difference is less clear-cut: Leiris's writing continues to express a complex imbrication of the personal and the political; the political commitment can be seen as a ‘sublimated’ version of the original emotional investment. Leiris moves from a desire to achieve ‘contact vrai’ with the black other to a sublimated desire to study societies that are themselves made up of contacts with other cultures; and the Caribbean provides the ideal example. But the importance of the Caribbean for Leiris lies also in the greater possibilities it offers, compared with Africa, for making his own personal ‘contacts’, through his friendship with Césaire, with politically active Antillean intellectuals, and hence laying the foundations for interactive ethnographic partnerships.
Recombination rate variation and speciation: theoretical predictions and empirical results from rabbits and mice
Authors: Nachman Michael W. , Payseur Bret A.
Published: December 2011

Recently diverged taxa may continue to exchange genes. A number of models of speciation with gene flow propose that the frequency of gene exchange will be lower in genomic regions of low recombination and that these regions will therefore be more differentiated. However, several population-genetic models that focus on selection at linked sites also predict greater differentiation in regions of low recombination simply as a result of faster sorting of ancestral alleles even in the absence of gene flow. Moreover, identifying the actual amount of gene flow from patterns of genetic variation is tricky, because both ancestral polymorphism and migration lead to shared variation between recently diverged taxa. New analytic methods have been developed to help distinguish ancestral polymorphism from migration. Along with a growing number of datasets of multi-locus DNA sequence variation, these methods have spawned a renewed interest in speciation models with gene flow. Here, we review both speciation and population-genetic models that make explicit predictions about how the rate of recombination influences patterns of genetic variation within and between species. We then compare those predictions with empirical data of DNA sequence variation in rabbits and mice. We find strong support for the prediction that genomic regions experiencing low levels of recombination are more differentiated. In most cases, reduced gene flow appears to contribute to the pattern, although disentangling the relative contribution of reduced gene flow and selection at linked sites remains a challenge. We suggest fruitful areas of research that might help distinguish between different models.
Complications of Circumcision
Authors: Krill Aaron J. , Palmer Lane S. , Palmer Jeffrey S.
Published: December 2011

In the United States, circumcision is a commonly performed procedure. It is a relatively safe procedure with a low overall complication rate. Most complications are minor and can be managed easily. Though uncommon, complications of circumcision do represent a significant percentage of cases seen by pediatric urologists. Often they require surgical correction that results in a significant cost to the health care system. Severe complications are quite rare, but death has been reported as a result in some cases. A thorough and complete preoperative evaluation, focusing on bleeding history and birth history, is imperative. Proper selection of patients based on age and anatomic considerations as well as proper sterile surgical technique are critical to prevent future circumcision-related adverse events.
Two cases of eruptive pseudoangiomatosis induced by mosquito bites
Authors: OKA Keiko , OHTAKI Noriko , KASAI Shinji , TAKAYAMA Kaoru , YOKOZEKI Hiroo
Published: December 2011

Eruptive pseudoangiomatosis is a skin eruption characterized by millet‐sized erythema with an anemic halo appearing on exposed body areas. Insect bites, particularly mosquito bites, have been reported as one of the causes of eruptive pseudoangiomatosis. We experienced two cases of eruptive pseudoangiomatosis and the eruption was seen on the face and upper extremities of two women aged 48 and 77 years old. The two cases consented to be experimentally bitten by Culex pipiens mosquitoes and Aedes albopictus to determine if eruptive pseudoangiomatosis could be experimentally elicited by these mosquitoes. Our results showed that several minutes after a C. pipiens mosquito bite, an erythematous spot appeared on the bite site, followed by the formation of an anemic halo surrounding the erythema in 30 min; a successful reproduction of eruptive pseudoangiomatosis. The erythema lasted for more than a week and was not accompanied by any pruritus. With A. albopictus, we were able to reproduce a milder eruptive pseudoangiomatosis eruption: in case 1, a smaller erythematous spot with an ill‐defined halo which disappeared within 1 week; and in case 2, an immediate response consisting of a wheal and erythema but not eruptive pseudoangiomatosis. We demonstrated that eruptive pseudoangiomatosis was the response manifested in individuals who normally did not demonstrate any immediate or delayed reaction to insect bites; and the typical eruptive pseudoangiomatosis eruption was elicited by C. pipiens mosquito bites. However, the mechanism resulting in the manifestation of eruptive pseudoangiomatosis is still unknown.
HLA‐A31 strongly associates with carbamazepine‐induced adverse drug reactions but not with carbamazepine‐induced lymphocyte proliferation in a Japanese population
Authors: NIIHARA Hiroyuki , KAKAMU Takeyasu , FUJITA Yasuyuki , KANEKO Sakae , MORITA Eishin
Published: December 2011

Carbamazepine (CBZ) is the most frequent culprit drug for severe cutaneous adverse drug reactions (ADR), such as Stevens–Johnson syndrome (SJS), toxic epidermal necrolysis (TEN) and drug‐induced hypersensitivity syndrome (DIHS). A strong association between human leukocyte antigen (HLA)‐B*1502 and CBZ‐induced SJS/TEN has been reported in Han Chinese, Thai, Malaysian and Indian populations, but not in Caucasian or Japanese populations. Recent studies showed an association between HLA‐A*3101 and CBZ‐induced ADR in Caucasian and Japanese populations. We conducted a case–control study to determine HLA genotyping of patients with CBZ‐induced ADR in a Japanese population. Fifteen patients with CBZ‐induced ADR and 33 subjects who had taken CBZ for more than 3 months without evidence of any ADR as a control were enrolled. In addition, the results of a CBZ‐induced lymphocyte stimulation test were compared between the groups. A strong association was found between HLA‐A31 and CBZ‐induced ADR (P < 0.001), and a weak association was found between HLA‐A11 and HLA‐B51 with CBZ‐induced ADR. No HLA‐B*1502 was found in either patients or control subjects. The mean CBZ‐induced lymphocyte stimulation index was significantly high in patients with CBZ‐induced ADR compared with CBZ‐tolerant patients (P < 0.001); however, no significant difference was seen between HLA‐A31‐positive subjects and HLA‐A31‐negative subjects in either group. These findings suggest that HLA‐A31 is strongly associated with CBZ‐induced ADR in the Japanese, but does not determine CBZ‐induced lymphocyte proliferation.
DNA alterations of microsatellite DNA, p53, APC and K‐ras in Chinese colorectal cancer patients
Authors: Xu Xin‐Min , Qian Jian‐Chang , Cai Zhe , Tang Tao , Wang Peng , Zhang Ke‐Hua , Deng Zhou‐Lu , Cai Jian‐Ping
Published: December 2011

Eur J Clin Invest 2012; 42 (7): 751–759

Background  Colorectal cancer is one of the most rapidly increasing cancers in the world, and accumulation of alterations in oncogenes, tumour suppressor genes and mismatch repair (MMR) genes contributes to colorectal tumorigenesis. Thus, we investigated the alterations of 14 microsatellite loci adjacent to MMR genes, p53, adenomatous polyposis coli (APC) and K‐ras in 52 Chinese patients with colorectal cancer.

Materials and Methods  We performed fluorescent polymerase chain reaction and capillary electrophoresis to analyse microsatellite instability (MSI) and loss of heterozygosity (LOH) in microsatellite loci, which included a panel of nine dinucleotide repeats and the Bethesda consensus panel. Additionally, we screened for mutations in exons 4–9 of p53 and the mutation cluster region (MCR) in APC by DHPLC. Codons 12, 13 and 61 in K‐ras were analysed using direct sequencing. All variations were confirmed using clone sequencing.

Results  The alteration frequency of microsatellite DNA was 55·8% (29/52). Among the microsatellites, five loci exhibited MSI and another nine loci exhibited LOH. The mutation rates of p53, APC and K‐ras were 42·3%, 38·5% and 36·5%, respectively. All patients (n = 7) with liver metastasis had a mutation in p53, APC or K‐ras. APC mutation was correlated with clinical stage and the presence of lymph node metastasis (P = 0·001 and P = 0·006, respectively).

Conclusions  A total of 80·8% of Chinese patients with colorectal cancer show variations in microsatellite DNA, p53, APC or K‐ras. It appears that these microsatellite DNA alterations could be a new biomarker for colorectal cancer.
Foxp3+ regulatory T cells, immune stimulation and host defence against infection
Authors: Rowe Jared H. , Ertelt James M. , Way Sing Sing
Published: December 2011

The immune system is intricately regulated allowing potent effectors to expand and become rapidly mobilized after infection, while simultaneously silencing potentially detrimental responses that averts immune‐mediated damage to host tissues. This relies in large part on the delicate interplay between immune suppressive regulatory CD4+ T (Treg) cells and immune effectors that without active suppression by Treg cells cause systemic and organ‐specific autoimmunity. Although these beneficial roles have been classically described as counterbalanced by impaired host defence against infection, newfound protective roles for Treg cells against specific viral pathogens (e.g. herpes simplex virus 2, lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus, West Nile virus) have been uncovered using transgenic mice that allow in vivo Treg‐cell ablation based on Foxp3 expression. In turn, Foxp3+ Treg cells also provide protection against some parasitic (Plasmodium sp., Toxoplasma gondii) and fungal (Candida albicans) pathogens. By contrast, for bacterial and mycobacterial infections (e.g. Listeria monocytogenes, Salmonella enterica, Mycobacterium tuberculosis), experimental manipulation of Foxp3+ cells continues to indicate detrimental roles for Treg cells in host defence. This variance is probably related to functional plasticity in Treg cell suppression that shifts discordantly following infection with different types of pathogens. Furthermore, the efficiency whereby Treg cells silence immune activation coupled with the plasticity in Foxp3+ cell activity suggest that overriding Treg‐mediated suppression represents a prerequisite ‘signal zero’ that together with other stimulation signals [T‐cell receptor (signal 1), co‐stimulation (signal 2), inflammatory cytokines (signal 3)] are essential for T‐cell activation in vivo. Herein, the importance of Foxp3+ Treg cells in host defence against infection, and the significance of infection‐induced shifts in Treg‐cell suppression are summarized.
Do occlusal contact detection products alter the occlusion?
Authors: HELMS R. B. , KATONA T. R. , ECKERT G. J.
Published: December 2011

Summary  Clinicians rely on occlusal contact detection products to identify high contacts and to equilibrate occlusions. Concerns about these products have stimulated numerous investigations into marking reproducibility, accuracy and interpretation, but none have looked at their effects on the occlusion itself. The aim of this study was to assess whether these products alter the occlusion that they purport to measure by determining whether there are differences in the forces and moments experienced by occluding teeth with and without their presence. A matched pair of IPN Portrait 33° molar denture teeth was placed into occlusion with the mandibular tooth supported by a load sensor and the maxillary tooth mounted onto a vertically sliding assembly with a total weight of 15·1N. The three‐dimensional force and moment components on the mandibular tooth were measured when the teeth were in direct crown–crown contact (control) and with the products in place. All six products, (Accufilm I, Accufilm II, Hanel Articulating Silk, Rudischhauser Thick and Thin, and T‐scan) showed significant (P < 0·05) differences in forces and moments from control.
High‐dose silibinin rescue treatment for HCV‐infected patients showing suboptimal virologic response to standard combination therapy
Authors: Biermer M. , Schlosser B. , Fülöp B. , van Bömmel F. , Brodzinski A. , Heyne R. , Keller K. , Sarrazin C. , Berg T.
Published: December 2011

Summary.  Incomplete suppression of hepatitis C virus (HCV) replication with persistence of minimal viremia (partial virologic response) leading to treatment failure can be observed in a significant proportion of HCV type 1‐infected patients during antiviral therapy. Recently, high‐dose intravenous silibinin has demonstrated strong antiviral activity against HCV. We were therefore interested in whether patients with partial virologic response can be rescued by the on‐treatment addition of a short‐term course of high‐dose intravenous silibinin infusions. Twenty patients who failed to achieve a complete virologic response to different interferon‐based regimens qualified for the rescue strategy and received 1400 mg/day silibinin infusions on two consecutive days. Complete viral suppression (below the limit of detection <6 IU/mL, TMA assay) could be induced in 13 of 20 patients within the first week after the short‐term silibinin infusion, and all but one of them also remained HCV RNA negative during the subsequent follow‐up period on continued peginterferon plus ribavirin treatment. In the remaining seven patients, no complete suppression could be achieved although four showed a significant HCV RNA reduction in response to silibinin. Silibinin infusions were generally well tolerated, and activation of abdominal peristalsis with nausea, diarrhoea and vomiting were the most prominent side effects. Of the twelve patients who exhibited a durable response to peginterferon and ribavirin treatment, three achieved an SVR, two achieved a week 12 SVR and four suffered a viral relapse. Three patients could not complete the assigned antiviral treatment with peginterferon alpha and ribavirin for nonvirological reasons. Short‐term administration of high‐dose intravenous silibinin might be an interesting approach to rescue patients with ongoing minimal residual viremia while on interferon‐based therapy. These preliminary findings may stimulate further studies to evaluate more refined therapeutic strategies.
Cryptic lineages and Pleistocene population expansion in a Brazilian Cerrado frog
Authors: PRADO CYNTHIA P. A. , HADDAD CÉLIO F. B. , ZAMUDIO KELLY R.
Published: December 2011

Diversification of South American species endemic to open habitats has been attributed to both Tertiary events and Pleistocene climatic fluctuations. Nonetheless, phylogeographical studies of taxa in these regions are few, precluding generalizations about the timing and processes leading to differentiation and speciation. We inferred population structure of Hypsiboas albopunctatus, a frog widely distributed in the Brazilian Cerrado. Three geographically distinct lineages were recovered in our phylogeny. The Chapada dos Guimarães (CG) clade was the first to diverge from other populations and contains multiple haplotypes from a single population in western Cerrado, probably representing a cryptic species. The southeast clade (SE) includes populations along the southeastern limit of the range within the historical distribution of the Brazilian Atlantic forest. Finally, the Central Cerrado (CC) group includes haplotypes from the interior of Brazil that are paraphyletic relative to the SE clade. Analyses of historical demography indicate significant population expansion in the CC and SE populations, likely associated with colonization of newly formed open habitats. The divergence of populations in the CG clade occurred in the late Miocene, concordant with the uplift of the central Brazilian plateau. Divergence of the SE clade from the CC occurred during the mid‐Pleistocene. Thus, both Tertiary geological events and Pleistocene climatic fluctuations promoted divergences among lineages. Our study reveals a complex history of diversification in the Cerrado, a morphoclimatic domain highly threatened because of anthropogenic habitat alteration. We identified surprisingly deep divergences in a widely distributed frog, indicating that the Cerrado is not a barrier‐free habitat and that its diversity is likely underestimated.
Evaluation of preharvest sprouting traits in a collection of spring wheat germplasm using genotype and genotype × environment interaction model
Authors: Rasul Golam , Humphreys Gavin D. , Wu Jixiang , Brûlé‐Babel Anita , Fofana Bourlaye , Glover Karl D.
Published: December 2011

With 10 tables

Preharvest sprouting (PHS) can greatly affect the consistent production of high‐quality spring wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) in many regions worldwide including Western Canada. A worldwide collection of red‐ and white‐seeded spring wheat genotypes with different levels of sprouting response were characterized for three PHS traits: falling number, germination index and sprouting index in three different environments in Manitoba, Canada. The data sets were analysed by the genotype and genotype × environment interaction model. Variance components were estimated, genotypic and their interaction effects with environments were predicted by using one of mixed linear model approaches: minimum norm quadratic unbiased estimation approach. Genotypic variance expressed as proportion to the phenotypic variance was higher compared to genotype × environment (G × E) interaction effects for all three PHS traits, suggesting that these genotypes can be used to develop high level of PHS‐resistant cultivars regardless of environment. Strong correlations between PHS traits across environments suggest that all three traits are repeatable and reliable methods to determine PHS response in spring wheat depending on sample types (spike, grain or flour). Predicted genotypic effects, G × E interaction effects and the linear discriminant analysis revealed that white‐seeded genotypes ‘AUS1408’, ‘SC8019‐R1’ and Kanata, and red‐seeded genotypes ‘AC Domain’, ‘AC Majestic’ and ‘Red RL4137’ would be useful PHS‐resistant donors in spring wheat cultivar development programmes.
Topical 0.1% rapamycin for angiofibromas in paediatric patients with tuberous sclerosis: A pilot study of four patients
Authors: Foster Rachael S , Bint Lewis J , Halbert Anne R
Published: December 2011

Tuberous sclerosis complex (TSC) is an autosomal dominant genodermatosis characterised by the development of hamartomatous tumours in multiple organs including the brain, skin, kidneys, heart and lungs. Facial angiofibromas are the most visible and unsightly of the cutaneous manifestations of TSC, often resulting in stigmatisation for both the affected individuals and their families. Current treatments include vascular laser, ablative lasers and other destructive techniques such as shave excision and electrodessication. For the best outcome these treatments have to be repeated throughout childhood and teenage years, necessitating multiple general anaesthetics. We report a pilot study of topical rapamycin in four children with TSC and facial angiofibromas. Two patients were trialled on 0.1% rapamycin in petrolatum and the other two patients with 0.1% rapamycin solution (Rapamune) applied topically. Both preparations were rapidly and equally effective, however the 0.1% in petrolatum was much better tolerated. Younger patients with smaller angiofibromas had the best response with near complete clearance. Both preparations were more cost effective than pulsed dye laser under general anaesthesia. Although larger studies are needed, this treatment shows a potential to be a first‐line management for facial angiofibromas in TSC and appears safe to start in early childhood.
Anti‐neutrophil cytoplasmic antibody‐associated systemic vasculitis: nature or nurture?
Authors: Gatenby P. A.
Published: December 2011

This review examines the environmental and genetic contributions to the anti‐neutrophil cytoplasmic antibody‐associated systemic vasculitides. The dominant environmental risk factors appear to be silica exposure for all three syndromes, and vitamin D deficiency is strongly suggested by the latitude and ultraviolet radiation gradient observed for Wegener's granulomatosis and Churg–Strauss syndrome. Genetic factors are generally not very strong, consistent with the rarity of these conditions in children. However, multiple genetic factors, each with a relatively small effect, may combine to create a state of susceptibility towards autoimmunity. With infection as a triggering agent, it is possible to synthesise a pathogenetic hypothesis that accounts for both environmental and genetic effects in regard to both necrotising vasculitis and granuloma formation.
Congenital heart disease‐associated pulmonary arterial hypertension: preliminary results from a novel registry
Authors: Rose M. L. , Strange G. , King I. , Arnup S. , Vidmar S. , O'Donnell C. , Kermeen F. , Grigg L. , Weintraub R. G. , Celermajer D. S.
Published: December 2011

Background/Aims:  Pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) frequently accompanies childhood congenital heart disease (CHD) and may persist into adult life. The advent of specific PAH therapies for PAH prompted formation of a national Australian and New Zealand registry in 2010 to document the incidence, demographics, presentation and outcomes for these patients.

Methods:  This multicentre, prospective, web‐based registry enrols patients with CHD‐associated PAH being followed in a tertiary centre. The inclusion criteria stipulated patient age ≥16 years, a measured mean pulmonary arterial pressure >25 mmHg at rest or echocardiographical evidence of PAH or a diagnosis of Eisenmenger syndrome, and followed since 1 January 2000. A single observer collected standardised data during a series of site visits.

Results:  Of the first 50 patients enrolled, 30 (60%) were female. The mean age (standard deviation (SD)) at the time of PAH diagnosis or confirmation in an adult centre was 27.23 (10.07) years, and 32 (64%) patients are currently aged >30 years. Fourteen (28%) patients were in World Health Organization Functional Class II and 36 (72%) in Class III at the time of diagnosis. Forty‐seven of 50 (94%) had congenital systemic‐pulmonary shunts, and 36 (72%) never underwent intervention. Thirteen (26%) had Down syndrome. Confirmation of PAH by recent cardiac catheterisation was available in 30 (60%) subjects. During follow up, a total of 32 (64%) patients received a PAH‐specific therapy.

Conclusions:  CHD associated with PAH in adult life has resulted in a new population with unique needs. This registry will allow documentation of clinical course and long‐term outcomes for these patients.
Pharmacokinetics and safety of Intragam 10 NF, the next generation 10% liquid intravenous immunoglobulin, in patients with primary antibody deficiencies
Authors: Bleasel K. , Heddle R. , Hissaria P. , Stirling R. , Stone C. , Maher D.
Published: December 2011

Background and aims:  Intragam® 10 NF is the next generation 10% intravenous immunoglobulin with three pathogen reduction steps and a noncarbohydrate stabiliser. This open label, cross‐over study in patients with primary immunodeficiency was designed to evaluate whether Intragam 10 NF differed in its pharmacokinetics (PK) compared with Intragam P and to assess Intragam 10 NF safety and tolerability.

Methods:  Nineteen primary immunodeficiency patients were administered one cycle of their existing Intragam P dose (0.2–0.8 g/kg 3–4 weekly), followed by seven cycles of Intragam 10 NF administered at the same dosing schedule as Intragam P. The primary objective was to compare serum immunoglobulin G (IgG) trough levels. Secondary endpoints were PK variables, safety and tolerability.

Results:  There was no significant within‐patient difference in the average trough immunoglobulin G concentration between Intragam P and Intragam 10 NF (8.76 g/L, 8.55 g/L respectively) (geometrical mean ratio 1.034; 95% confidence interval 0.996–1.073; P = 0.079). Mean PK parameters for both products were similar, with all 95% confidence interval encompassing 1.0 except for time to maximum concentration. Time to maximum concentration occurred earlier with Intragam 10 NF compared with Intragam P, with a shorter infusion time (mean 1.75 h vs 2.52 h respectively; P < 0.05). Headache was the most frequent treatment‐related event following both products. There were no study withdrawals, deaths, or notable changes in laboratory values or vital signs.

Conclusion:  Intragam 10 NF was well tolerated and exhibited similar PK to Intragam P, with the advantage of a 45 min shorter infusion time.
Neuroradiology investigations before scanning
Authors: Brown T.C.K.
Published: December 2011

Coaxial tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans are so much part of neurological investigation these days and provide such detailed information that even thorough neurological clinical examination may be neglected. The investigations in common use forty years ago were pneumoencephalography, ventriculography in babies with hydrocephalus, and carotid angiography with the injection of X‐ray contrast to outline the arteries.
Postoperative analgesia via transversus abdominis plane (TAP) catheter for small weight children‐our initial experience
Authors: Visoiu Mihaela , Boretsky Karen R. , Goyal Gagandeep , Cladis Franklyn P. , Cassara Antonio
Published: December 2011

Pain management in small infants and children is challenging. We report the use of unilateral transversus abdominis plane (TAP) catheters for analgesia following single‐sided open lower abdominal surgery when epidural analgesia was undesirable in a series of six low‐weight children. Data collection was done via a retrospective chart review. All catheters attempted were successfully placed with resultant low pain scores and the minimal use of rescue analgesic medications. No complications were reported related to these catheters. TAP catheters, although technically challenging, are feasible for the provision of analgesia for surgeries involving the lower abdominal wall in very small patients.
Glacier‐bed geomorphic processes and hydrologic conditions relevant to nuclear waste disposal
Authors: IVERSON N. , PERSON M.
Published: December 2011

Characterizing glaciotectonic deformation, glacial erosion and sedimentation, and basal hydrologic conditions of ice sheets is vital for selecting sites for nuclear waste repositories at high latitudes. Glaciotectonic deformation is enhanced by excess pore pressures that commonly persist near ice sheet margins. Depths of such deformation can extend locally to a few tens of meters, with depths up to approximately 300 m in exceptional cases. Rates of glacial erosion are highly variable (0.05–15 mm a−1), but rates <1 mm a−1 are expected in tectonically quiescent regions. Total erosion probably not exceeding several tens of meters is expected during a glacial cycle, although locally erosion could be greater. Consolidation of glacial sediments that is less than expected from independent estimates of glacier thickness indicates that heads at the bases of past ice sheets were usually within 30% of the floatation value. This conclusion is reinforced by direct measurements of water pressure beneath portions of the West Antarctic ice sheet, which indicate average heads <7 m below floatation. Landforms of the Laurentide and Scandinavian ice sheets and recent observations in Greenland indicate that high seasonal discharges of surface water are conducted to the bed, despite thick ice at subfreezing temperatures. Therefore, in models of subglacial groundwater flow used to assess sites for nuclear waste repositories, a flux upper boundary condition based on water input from only basal melting will be far more uncertain than applying a hydraulic head at the upper boundary set equal to a large fraction of the floatation value.
The mutual prospective influence of child and parental post‐traumatic stress symptoms in pediatric patients
Authors: Landolt Markus A. , Ystrom Eivind , Sennhauser Felix H. , Gnehm Hanspeter E. , Vollrath Margarete E.
Published: December 2011

Background:  Previous studies found notable rates of post‐traumatic stress symptoms (PTSS) and post‐traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in pediatric patients and their parents and suggest a significant association between child and parent PTSS. However, little is known about mutual influences between child and parental PTSS over time. This study prospectively examined the presence of PTSS and PTSD and the mutual influence of child and parental PTSS in a large sample of pediatric patients with different medical conditions.

Methods:  A total of 287 children (aged 6.5–16 years) and their mothers (n = 239) and fathers (n = 221) were assessed at 5–6 weeks and 1 year after an accident or a new diagnosis of cancer or diabetes mellitus type 1 in the child.

Results:  At the first assessment 11.1% and at the second assessment 10.2% of the children had moderate to severe PTSS. At 5–6 weeks 29.3% of mothers and 18.6% of fathers met criteria for PTSD. At 1 year the rates were 14.6% for mothers and 7.9% for fathers. There were considerable differences of PTSS among different medical diagnostic groups in children and parents. Mothers were more vulnerable than fathers. Structural equation analysis revealed that initially high PTSS in mothers and fathers were longitudinally related to poorer recovery from PTSS in the child. Cross‐lagged effects from the child to the parents and from one parent to the other were not significant.

Conclusions:  This study highlights the long‐term influence of parental PTSS on the child’s recovery after trauma and calls for a family systems approach and for early interventions in the treatment of traumatized pediatric patients.
New targets for antiviral therapy of chronic hepatitis C
Authors: Bühler Sandra , Bartenschlager Ralf
Published: December 2011

Until recently, chronic hepatitis C caused by persistent infection with the hepatitis C virus (HCV) has been treated with a combination of pegylated interferon‐alpha (PEG‐IFNα) and ribavirin (RBV). This situation has changed with the development of two drugs targeting the NS3/4A protease, approved for combination therapy with PEG‐IFNα/RBV for patients infected with genotype 1 viruses. Moreover, two additional viral proteins, the RNA‐dependent RNA polymerase (residing in NS5B) and the NS5A protein have emerged as promising drug targets and a large number of antivirals targeting these proteins are at different stages of clinical development. Although this progress is very promising, it is not clear whether these new compounds will suffice to eradicate the virus in an infected individual, ideally by using a PEG‐IFNα/RBV‐free regimen, or whether additional compounds targeting other factors that promote HCV replication are required. In this respect, host cell factors have emerged as a promising alternative. They reduce the risk of development of antiviral resistance and they increase the chance for broad‐spectrum activity, ideally covering all HCV genotypes. Work in the last few years has identified several host cell factors used by HCV for productive replication. These include, amongst others, cyclophilins, especially cyclophilinA (cypA), microRNA‐122 (miR‐122) or phosphatidylinositol‐4‐kinase III alpha. For instance, cypA inhibitors have shown to be effective in combination therapy with PEG‐IFN/RBV in increasing the sustained viral response (SVR) rate significantly compared to PEG‐IFN/RBV. This review briefly summarizes recent advances in the development of novel antivirals against HCV.
Barriers to hepatitis C treatment
Authors: McGowan Christopher E. , Fried Michael W.
Published: December 2011

Despite the availability of highly effective therapy for hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection, few patients receive treatment. Barriers arising at multiple levels, from diagnosis to specialist referral, may impede the delivery of hepatitis C care. At the patient level, lack of awareness, fear of side effects, poor adherence and comorbid conditions may prevent treatment. For providers, limited knowledge, lack of availability and communication difficulties may be problematic. At the government and payer level, a lack of promotion, surveillance and funding may interfere. Each of these barriers needs to be addressed if wider implementation of antiviral therapy is to be achieved.
Space‐Time Data fusion Under Error in Computer Model Output: An Application to Modeling Air Quality
Authors: Berrocal Veronica J. , Gelfand Alan E. , Holland David M.
Published: December 2011

Summary We provide methods that can be used to obtain more accurate environmental exposure assessment. In particular, we propose two modeling approaches to combine monitoring data at point level with numerical model output at grid cell level, yielding improved prediction of ambient exposure at point level. Extending our earlier downscaler model (Berrocal, V. J., Gelfand, A. E., and Holland, D. M. (2010b). A spatio‐temporal downscaler for outputs from numerical models. Journal of Agricultural, Biological and Environmental Statistics 15, 176–197), these new models are intended to address two potential concerns with the model output. One recognizes that there may be useful information in the outputs for grid cells that are neighbors of the one in which the location lies. The second acknowledges potential spatial misalignment between a station and its putatively associated grid cell.

The first model is a Gaussian Markov random field smoothed downscaler that relates monitoring station data and computer model output via the introduction of a latent Gaussian Markov random field linked to both sources of data. The second model is a smoothed downscaler with spatially varying random weights defined through a latent Gaussian process and an exponential kernel function, that yields, at each site, a new variable on which the monitoring station data is regressed with a spatial linear model. We applied both methods to daily ozone concentration data for the Eastern US during the summer months of June, July and August 2001, obtaining, respectively, a 5% and a 15% predictive gain in overall predictive mean square error over our earlier downscaler model (Berrocal et al., 2010b). Perhaps more importantly, the predictive gain is greater at hold‐out sites that are far from monitoring sites.