bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Fructose, pregnancy and later life impacts
Authors: Regnault Timothy RH , Gentili Sheridan , Sarr Ousseynou , Toop Carla R , Sloboda Deborah M
Published: August 2013

Fructose is an increasingly common constituent of the Westernized diet due to cost and production efficiencies. Although an integral component of our pre‐industrial revolution diet, over the past two decades human and animal studies have highlighted that excessive fructose intake appears to be associated with adverse metabolic effects.

Excessive intake of fructose is the combined result of increased total energy consumption and increased portion sizes of foods, which often incorporate the fructose‐containing sugars sucrose and high‐fructose corn‐syrup (HFCS). The adverse metabolic effects following excessive fructose consumption have become a hot topic in mainstream media and there is now rigorous scientific debate regarding periods of exposure, dosage levels, interactive effects with other sugars and fats and mechanisms underlying the actions of fructose.

There is still a degree of controversy regarding the extent to which sugars such as sucrose and HFCS have contributed to the current epidemic of obesity and diabetes. Furthermore, an increasing number of infants are being exposed to sugar‐sweetened food and beverages before birth and during early postnatal life, highlighting the importance of determining the long‐term effects of this perinatal exposure on the developing offspring.

There are limited human observational and controlled studies identifying associations of excessive sweetened food and beverage consumption with poor pregnancy outcomes. Animal research has demonstrated an increased incidence of gestational diabetes as well as altered maternal, fetal and offspring metabolic function, although the long‐term effects and the mechanism underlying these perturbations are ill defined.

This review aims to understand the role of early life fructose exposure in modifying postnatal risk of disease in the offspring, focusing on fructose intake during pregnancy and in early postnatal life.
Kidney regeneration by non‐platelet RNA‐containing particle‐derived cells
Authors: Kong Wuyi , Nuo Mu , Zhu Xiao Ping , Han Xiu Juan , Wang Xian
Published: August 2013

We found a group of non‐platelet RNA‐containing particles (NPRCPs) in human umbilical cord blood. These particles can aggregate, fuse and become non‐nucleated cells when cocultured with nucleated cells in vitro. The non‐nucleated cells further differentiate into nucleated cells expressing octamer binding transcription factor 4 (OCT4). The NPRCPs are approximately 1–5 μm in diameter, have a thin bilayer membrane, contain short RNAs and microRNAs and express OCT4, sex‐determining region Y 2 (SOX2) and DEAD box polypeptide 4 (DDX4). To confirm the function of NPRCPs in vivo, we examined the effects of tail vein‐injected green fluorescent protein (GFP)‐labelled NPRCPs on mouse kidneys damaged by prior ischaemia and reperfusion from Day 1 to Week 6.

Within 1 day of injection of NPRCPs, immunofluorescence and immunohistochemistry revealed a large number of extravasated NPRCPs in the renal calyces, damaged glomeruli and duct tubules. During the course of regeneration, NPRCPs fused into large, non‐nucleated cellular structures that further became large nucleated cells to regenerate multicellular kidney tubules. In addition, many NPRCPs became tiny nucleated cellular structures that further differentiated into interstitial cells in connective tissue. The extravasated NPRCPs also arranged themselves into non‐cell glomerular structures before further regenerating into nucleated cells of the glomerulus.

In conclusion, the results demonstrate that, via different patterns of differentiation, NPRCP‐derived cells can regenerate mouse kidney tissue damaged by ischaemia.
UK survey of clinical consistency in tracheostomy management
Authors: McGowan Susan L. , Ward Elizabeth C. , Wall Laurelie R. , Shellshear Leanne R. , Spurgin Ann‐Louise
Published: August 2013

Background

Many speech and language therapists (SLTs) work with patients who have a tracheostomy. There is limited information about their working practices and the extent to which recent publications and research have influenced the speech and language therapy management of the tracheostomized patient.

Aims

This study reviews the current patterns of clinical practice for SLTs in the management of adult tracheostomized patients in the UK.

Methods & Procedures

An online questionnaire was completed by 106 SLTs with prior experience in tracheostomy management. The information from this was explored to determine patterns of practice across various areas of speech and language therapy tracheostomy management including clinical roles and responsibilities, management of communication disorders, and assessment and management of dysphagia and decannulation. These clinical patterns were then examined with respect to the current literature, emerging patterns in evidence‐based practice and national practice guidelines.

Outcomes & Results

The results indicate a moderate to high level of clinical consistency in the majority of areas evaluated across the scope of tracheostomy management in speech and language therapy. Consistency in practice areas such as increased utilization of instrumental assessments and conservative use of the Modified Evans Blue Dye Test indicate clinical application in line with current research. Limited clinical consensus or inconsistencies in evidence‐based services were identified in aspects of practice that are supported by conflicting or emerging research evidence. Such areas include involvement in cuff deflation regimes, adoption of specific decannulation procedures and participation in multidisciplinary team management.

Conclusions & Implications

SLTs in the UK provide a moderate to high level of consistent practice in tracheostomy management. This study identifies areas of tracheostomy management that require further research in order to establish clinical practice guidelines and to address discrepancies between research evidence and clinical implementation.
Dialectics of gender and health: the case of HIV serodiscordance
Authors: Wyrod Robert
Published: August 2013

The relationship between gender and health is a deeply interdependent one. Yet research in this area has focused primarily on how gender relations determine health behaviour and health outcomes. This article advocates a more holistic approach that conceptualises gender and health as fully intertwined and mutually constitutive. This interplay is explored through the case of HIV serodiscordance in which one person in a relationship is HIV positive and the other HIV negative. Drawing on in‐depth research with discordant couples in urban Uganda, this study indicates that living with discordance can both reinforce and challenge normative gender power dynamics in relationships. This study, therefore, illustrates how significant health problems can influence gender relations. As such, it reveals the dialectical relationship between gender and health and also provides important insights for HIV prevention in the new era of antiretroviral treatment as prevention.
Maternal exposure to heatwave and preterm birth inBrisbane,Australia
Authors: Wang J , Williams G , Guo Y , Pan X , Tong S
Published: August 2013

Objective

To quantify the short‐term effects of maternal exposure to heatwave on preterm birth.

Design

An ecological study.

Setting

A population‐based study inBrisbane,Australia.

Population

All pregnant women who had a spontaneous singleton live birth inBrisbane betweenNovember andMarch in 2000–2010 were studied.

Methods

Daily data on pregnancy outcomes, meteorological factors, and ambient air pollutants were obtained. TheCox proportional hazards regression model with time‐dependent variables was used to examine the short‐term impact of heatwave on preterm birth. A series of cut‐off temperatures and durations were used to define heatwave. Multivariable analyses were also performed to adjust for socio‐economic factors, demographic factors, meteorological factors, and ambient air pollutants.

Main outcome measure

Spontaneous preterm births.

Results

The adjusted hazard ratios (HRs) ranged from 1.13 (95%CI1.03–1.24) to 2.00 (95%CI1.37–2.91) by using different heatwave definitions, after controlling for demographic, socio‐economic, and meteorological factors, and air pollutants.

Conclusions

Heatwave was significantly associated with preterm birth: the associations were robust to the definitions of heatwave. The threshold temperatures, instead of duration, could be more likely to influence the evaluation of birth‐related heatwaves. The findings of this study may have significant public health implications as climate change progresses.
Squamous cell carcinoma of the breast presenting as an abscess
Authors: Lo Xina , Chan Jessie Y.W. , Tsang Yvonne Y.Y. , Lo Sherwin S.W. , Cheung Florence M.F. , Yau Kevin K.K. , Li Michael K.W.
Published: August 2013

Pure squamous cell carcinoma of the breast is a rare form of metaplastic breast carcinomas. We report a case who presented with a breast abscess. Diagnosis was only made after wide local excision. The patient subsequently had a sentinel lymph node biopsy and is currently receiving radiation therapy. Squamous cell carcinoma of the breast is a rare tumour with limited evidence on its optimal treatment.
Intraoperative underwater colonoscopy with a laparoscope following in‐sleeve on‐table colonic irrigation in obstructed left colon
Authors: Büyükgebiz Oğuzhan
Published: August 2013

Aim

The aim of the present study was to describe intraoperative underwater colonoscopy (IUC) and recommend the use of this new technique in emergency settings for the management of acute left‐sided colonic obstruction.

Patients and Methods

IUC was performed with a laparoscope attached to a video‐camera system after in‐sleeve, on‐table colonic irrigation. The colon was transected proximally to the tumour, and a nylon camera drape was sutured tightly to the proximal colonic end. Following colonic irrigation, the washout was stopped, and IUC was accomplished by introducing a laparoscope into the bowel. Finally, the laparoscope was withdrawn and formal surgery was performed.

Results

IUC was successfully used in nine patients who underwent emergency colon surgery; eight patients had colonic obstructions due to adenocarcinomas, and one patient had colonic perforation. IUC revealed three synchronous lesions in the obstructed colonic segments which one of them was an adenocarcinoma in three patients. Another patient had a polyp located distally to the tumour, which was determined preoperatively. Primary resection and stapling anastomosis were performed in all cases. Postoperative complications were atelectasis and delay of intestinal motility in two patients; both recovered well. There was no complication due to IUC or primary operation; for example, anastomotic leakage or wound infection. During the follow up, one patient died 10 months after primary operation due to a cardiac event.

Conclusion

IUC following in‐sleeve, on‐table irrigation is safe and quick to perform, and enables the assessment of colonic mucosa with good visibility. This method was found to be helpful to perform intraoperative colonoscopy when indicated in the emergency surgery of the obstructed left‐sided colon when conventional endoscopy was not available at the theatre.
Elucidation of the genetic differences in Trialeurodes vaporariorum populations under vegetable greenhouse conditions by using the allozyme approach
Authors: Shin Dongyoung , Mo Hyoung‐ho , Lee Sung‐Eun , Park Jung‐Joon , Cho Kijong
Published: August 2013

Genetic differentiation of Trialeurodes vaporariorum (Westwood 1856) populations was examined using biochemical and allozyme analysis. For biochemical analysis, general esterase and glutathion‐S‐transferase were tested. Allozyme genetic variability in 11 populations of T. vaporariorum was investigated using five loci from four enzyme systems. Although there are large variations between populations, T. vaporariorum is grouped into two populations with geographic barriers, based on Nei's genetic distance in the Baekdudaegan Mountains. Within these two groups, low migration and linkage disequilibrium reveal that populations tend to be influenced by gene drift rather than uniform selection pressures. The effect of genetic drift is greater than the effect of uniform selection by insecticides or host plant resistance, which is suggested by the FST estimates in this study. Based on this basic research, more effective whitefly control programs could be built in the future.
A review of drug therapy for functional dyspepsia
Authors: Chen Sheng Liang
Published: August 2013

The management of functional dyspepsia (FD) is a challenge for gastroenterologists in clinical practice. The eradication of Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) and the utility of antacids, prokinetics and antidepressants are recommended as treatment choices for FD by consensus. Unlike in Europe and the USA, H. pylori eradication in Asia can lead to a higher proportion of FD patients with symptom relief and a higher symptom response rate to prokinetics. Moreover, response rates to anti‐secretory drugs such as proton pump inhibitors deviate considerably from those in the Western world. Digestive enzymes and probiotics have also been reported to be used for the treatment of FD but evidence of their effectiveness is not adequate. Anti‐anxiety drugs and antidepressants are reported to have peculiar effects on FD, especially in refractory FD, in which tricyclic antidepressants and selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors at small doses are most often recommended. When these drugs are selected to treat FD, clinicians should also consider their roles in treating mental disorders as well as the direct effects of neurotransmitters on gastroenterological disorders. However, their effects need to be further verified by prospective double‐blinded randomized clinical trials with a large sample size. Distinguishing among different symptom subtypes has limited significance in guiding the medical choice for FD and individualized drug treatment should be recommended in its management.
Enhanced understanding of predator–prey relationships using molecular methods to identify predator species, individual and sex
Authors: Mumma Matthew A. , Soulliere Colleen E. , Mahoney Shane P. , Waits Lisette P.
Published: August 2013

Predator species identification is an important step in understanding predator‐prey interactions, but predator identifications using kill site observations are often unreliable. We used molecular tools to analyse predator saliva, scat and hair from caribou calf kills in Newfoundland, Canada to identify the predator species, individual and sex. We sampledDNAfrom 32 carcasses using cotton swabs to collect predator saliva. We used fragment length analysis and sequencing of mitochondrialDNAto distinguish between coyote, black bear, Canada lynx and red fox and used nuclearDNAmicrosatellite analysis to identify individuals. We compared predator species detected using molecular tools to those assigned via field observations at each kill. We identified a predator species at 94% of carcasses using molecular methods, while observational methods assigned a predator species to 62.5% of kills. Molecular methods attributed 66.7% of kills to coyote and 33.3% to black bear, while observations assigned 40%, 45%, 10% and 5% to coyote, bear, lynx and fox, respectively. Individual identification was successful at 70% of kills where a predator species was identified. Only one individual was identified at each kill, but some individuals were found at multiple kills. Predator sex was predominantly male. We demonstrate the first large‐scale evaluation of predator species, individual and sex identification using molecular techniques to extractDNAfrom swabs of wild prey carcasses. Our results indicate that kill site swabs (i) can be highly successful in identifying the predator species and individual responsible; and (ii) serve to inform and complement traditional methods.
Modular tagging of amplicons using a single PCR for high‐throughput sequencing
Authors: Clarke Laurence J. , Czechowski Paul , Soubrier Julien , Stevens Mark I. , Cooper Alan
Published: August 2013

High‐throughput sequencing (HTS) of PCR amplicons is becoming the method of choice to sequence one or several targeted loci for phylogenetic and DNA barcoding studies. Although the development of HTS has allowed rapid generation of massive amounts of DNA sequence data, preparing amplicons for HTS remains a rate‐limiting step. For example, HTS platforms require platform‐specific adapter sequences to be present at the 5′ and 3′ end of the DNA fragment to be sequenced. In addition, short multiplex identifier (MID) tags are typically added to allow multiple samples to be pooled in a single HTS run. Existing methods to incorporate HTS adapters and MID tags into PCR amplicons are either inefficient, requiring multiple enzymatic reactions and clean‐up steps, or costly when applied to multiple samples or loci (fusion primers). We describe a method to amplify a target locus and add HTS adapters and MID tags via a linker sequence using a single PCR. We demonstrate our approach by generating reference sequence data for two mitochondrial loci (COI and 16S) for a diverse suite of insect taxa. Our approach provides a flexible, cost‐effective and efficient method to prepare amplicons for HTS.
Transcriptome resources for the frogs Lithobates clamitans and Pseudacris regilla, emphasizing antimicrobial peptides and conserved loci for phylogenetics
Authors: Robertson Laura S. , Cornman Robert S.
Published: August 2013

We developed genetic resources for two North American frogs, Lithobates clamitans and Pseudacris regilla, widespread native amphibians that are potential indicator species of environmental health. For both species, mRNA from multiple tissues was sequenced using 454 technology. De novo assemblies with Mira3 resulted in 50 238 contigs (N50 = 687 bp) and 48 213 contigs (N50 = 686 bp) for L. clamitans and P. regilla, respectively, after clustering with CD‐Hit‐EST and purging contigs below 200 bp. We performed BLASTX similarity searches against the Xenopus tropicalis proteome and, for predicted ORFs, HMMER similarity searches against the Pfam‐A database. Because there is broad interest in amphibian immune factors, we manually annotated putative antimicrobial peptides. To identify conserved regions suitable for amplicon resequencing across a broad taxonomic range, we performed an additional assembly of public short‐read transcriptome data derived from two species of the genus Rana and identified reciprocal best TBLASTX matches among all assemblies. Although P. regilla, a hylid frog, is substantially more diverged from the ranid species, we identified 56 genes that were sufficiently conserved to allow nondegenerate primer design with Primer3. In addition to providing a foundation for comparative genomics and quantitative gene expression analysis, our results enable quick development of nuclear sequence‐based markers for phylogenetics or population genetics.
Entropy and the species accumulation curve: a novel entropy estimator via discovery rates of new species
Authors: Chao Anne , Wang Y. T. , Jost Lou
Published: August 2013

Estimating Shannon entropy and its exponential from incomplete samples is a central objective of many research fields. However, empirical estimates of Shannon entropy and its exponential depend strongly on sample size and typically exhibit substantial bias. This work uses a novel method to obtain an accurate, low‐bias analytic estimator of entropy, based on species frequency counts. Our estimator does not require prior knowledge of the number of species.

We show that there is a close relationship between Shannon entropy and the species accumulation curve, which depicts the cumulative number of observed species as a function of sample size. We reformulate entropy in terms of the expected discovery rates of new species with respect to sample size, that is, the successive slopes of the species accumulation curve. Our estimator is obtained by applying slope estimators derived from an improved Good‐Turing frequency formula. Our method is also applied to estimate mutual information.

Extensive simulations from theoretical models and real surveys show that if sample size is not unreasonably small, the resulting entropy estimator is nearly unbiased. Our estimator generally outperforms previous methods in terms of bias and accuracy (low mean squared error) especially when species richness is large and there is a large fraction of undetected species in samples.

We discuss the extension of our approach to estimate Shannon entropy for multiple incidence data. The use of our estimator in constructing an integrated rarefaction and extrapolation curve of entropy (or mutual information) as a function of sample size or sample coverage (an aspect of sample completeness) is also discussed.
Val66Met polymorphism and serum brain‐derived neurotrophic factor in bipolar disorder: an open‐label trial
Authors: Grande I. , Magalhães P. V. S. , Chendo I. , Stertz L. , Fries G. R. , Cereser K. M. , Cunha Â. B. M. , Gói P. , Kunz M. , Udina M. , Martín‐Santos R. , Frey B. N. , Vieta E. , Kapczinski F.
Published: August 2013

Objective

Brain‐derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) is consistently associated with acute mood episodes in bipolar disorder, but there is a lack of longitudinal data to support this hypothesis. In this 16‐week open‐label clinical trial, we tested the predictive role of BDNF Val66Met polymorphism on serum BDNF levels and the relationship of serum BDNF and clinical response in people with bipolar disorder during an acute illness episode.

Method

Sixty‐four people with bipolar disorder who were medication‐free at baseline and in an acute mood episode were recruited. They were matched with 64 healthy controls. Clinical evaluation, serum BDNF, and BDNF Val66Met polymorphism were determined at baseline, and change in serum BDNF was assessed in patients at weeks 2, 4, 8 and 16.

Results

There were no differences between patients and controls in serum BDNF or in frequencies of the BDNF Val66Met polymorphism genotype at baseline. The multivariable model showed that Met carriers had a significantly different change in BDNF levels compared with Val homozygotes. Not achieving a complete remission was also associated with lower prospectively assessed BDNF levels.

Conclusion

This study provides the first longitudinal evidence that both the BDNF Val66Met polymorphism and remission status predict change in circulating BDNF levels.
Causes of death in a cohort treated for opioid dependence between 1985 and 2005
Authors: Degenhardt Louisa , Larney Sarah , Randall Deborah , Burns Lucy , Hall Wayne
Published: August 2013

Aims

To examine changes in causes of death in a cohort treated for opioid dependence, across time and age; quantify years of potential life lost (YPLL); and identify avoidable causes of death.

Design

People in New South Wales (NSW) who registered for opioid substitution therapy (OST), 1985–2005, were linked to a register of all deaths in Australia.

Setting

NSW, Australia.

Measurements

Crude mortality rates (CMRs), age–sex‐standardized mortality rates (ASSRs) and standardized mortality ratios (SMRs) across time, sex and age. Years of potential life lost (YPLL) were calculated with reference to Australian life tables and by calculating years lost before the age of 65 years.

Findings

There were 43 789 people in the cohort, with 412 216 person‐years of follow‐up. The proportion of the cohort aged 40+ years increased from 1% in 1985 to 39% in 2005. Accidental opioid overdoses, suicides, transport accidents and violent deaths declined with age; deaths from cardiovascular disease, liver disease and cancer increased. Among men, 89% of deaths were potentially avoidable; among women, 86% of deaths were avoidable. There were an estimated 160 555 YPLL in the cohort, an average of 44 YPLL per decedent and an average of 29 YPLL before age 65 years.

Conclusions

Among a cohort of opioid‐dependent people in New South Wales, 1985–2005, almost nine in 10 deaths in the cohort were avoidable. There is huge scope to improve mortality among opioid‐dependent people.
A Methodological Response from the Field to Douglas Foley: Critical Bifocality and Class Cultural Productions in Anthropology and Education
Authors: Weis Lois , Fine Michelle
Published: August 2013

In this paper we are explicitly in conversation with Doug Foley's recently published paper in AEQ. Given our shared commitment to the linkages between intersectionality and broader social and economic arrangements, two noted ethnographers argue that the paradigmatic shift highlighted by Foley demands detailed attention to what this means for questions of design, method and analysis.
“Contradictions, clashes, cominglings”: The Syncretic Literacy Projects of Young Bilinguals
Authors: Volk Dinah
Published: August 2013

This article explores the concept ofsyncretism, its history, related concepts, and potential as a research tool. It proposes a critical syncretism for analyzing the syncretic literacy projects of three young Puerto Rican bilinguals with attention to their agency and creativity drawing on diverse languages and literacies and transforming them at home with family members' support. The projects are also analyzed within the sociohistorical contexts of the families. Challenges for research and education are discussed.
A Twice‐Told Tale: Voices of Resistance in a BorderlandsSpanish Heritage Language Class
Authors: Helmer Kimberly Adilia
Published: August 2013

Drawn from a two‐year critical ethnography, the author explores howMexican‐origin students in aU.S. southwest charter high school resistedSpanish heritage language instruction. Resistance was rooted in students' perception that their teacher unfairly characterized their linguistic and social identities. Students also constructed their non‐nativeSpanish teacher to be aSpanish‐language learner, disqualifying her to teach their heritage language, despite her proficiency. Misunderstandings arose from teacher's and students' limited imaginings ofSpanish‐language discourse communities.
Political Mothering: Latina and African American Mothers in the Struggle for Educational Justice
Authors: Fuentes Emma
Published: August 2013

This article explores the process and impact of women organizing for educational justice in Northern California by documenting the efforts of a committed group of mothers who sought to address the disproportionate underachievement of Latino and African American students within their city's high school. Using a combined methodology of ethnography and participatory action research, this article illustrates the power of converting racial and social identities into a political strategy while constructing new narratives of self.
Familia and Comunidad‐Based Saberes: Learning in an Indigenous Heritage Community
Authors: Urrieta Luis
Published: August 2013

This article explores how children and youth learned indigenous heritagesaberes(knowings) through intent community participation inNocutzepo,Mexico. Thefamilia(family) andcomunidad(community)‐based saberes were valuable for skills acquisition, but most important for learning indigenous forms of belonging, responsibility, and integration into adult life. Understanding indigenous heritage philosophies of learning and familia and comunidad saberes can help expand educators' knowledge about the learning practices of indigenous heritage families and students in schools.
Designing Historical Social Scientific Inquiry: How Parameter Heterogeneity Can Bridge the Methodological Divide between Quantitative and Qualitative Approaches
Authors: Wawro Gregory J. , Katznelson Ira
Published: August 2013

Seeking to advance historical studies of political institutions and behavior, we argue for an expansion of the standard methodological toolkit with a set of innovative approaches that privilege parameter heterogeneity to capture nuances missed by more commonly used approaches. We address critiques by prominent historians and historically oriented political scientists who have underscored the shortcomings of mainstream quantitative approaches for studying the past. They are concerned that the statistical models ordinarily employed by political scientists are inadequate for addressing temporality, periodicity, specificity, and context—issues that are central to good historical analysis. The innovations that we advocate are particularly well suited for incorporating these issues in empirical models, which we demonstrate with replications of extant research that focuses on locating structural breaks relating to realignments and split‐party Senate delegations and on the temporal evolution in congressional roll‐call behavior connected to labor policy during the New Deal and Fair Deal.
Therapeutic Effectiveness of Sustained Low‐Efficiency Hemodialysis Plus Hemoperfusion and Continuous Hemofiltration Plus Hemoperfusion for Acute Severe Organophosphate Poisoning
Authors: Hu Shou‐liang , Wang Dan , Jiang Hong , Lei Qing‐feng , Zhu Xiao‐hua , Cheng Jun‐zhang
Published: August 2013

There is no report on the effects of sustained low‐efficiency dialysis (SLED) plus hemoperfusion (HP) (SLED + HP) in patients with acute severe organophosphate (OP) poisoning (ASOPP). This study was designed to compare the therapeutic effectiveness between SLED + HP and continuous hemofiltration (CHF) plus HP (CHF + HP) in patients with ASOPP. In order to assess the two treatment methods, 56 patients with ASOPP were divided into CHF + HP group and SLED + HP group. The biochemical indicators, in‐hospital duration, hemodynamic parameters, Acute Physiology, and Chronic Health Evaluation (APACHE II) score, and survival and mortality rates were compared. In both groups after treatment, the levels of serum creatine kinase isozyme MB, creatine kinase, creatinine, glutamic‐oxalacetic transaminease, and glutamate‐pyruvate transaminase, and the APACHE II scores on the first, second, and seventh day decreased (P < 0.05), whereas the levels of serum acetylcholinesterase increased. The two groups showed no statistical differences in in‐hospital duration, biochemical indicators, APACHE II score, hemodynamic parameters, survival rate, or the mortality rate (P > 0.05). In conclusion, SLED has similar hemodynamic stability to CHF and the two treatment methods have similar effects on ASOPP patients. More importantly, SLED plus HP is relatively economical and convenient for patients with ASOPP in clinical practice.
The Autism‐Spectrum Quotient in university students: Pattern of changes in its scores and associated factors
Authors: Kitazoe Noriko , Inoue Shimpei , Izumoto Yuji , Kumagai Naoko , Iwasaki Yasumasa
Published: August 2013

Introduction

Support to university students with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) is becoming increasingly important. To determine the validity of the Autism‐Spectrum Quotient (AQ) for ASD screening of university students, we conducted longitudinal measurements of the AQ in a large sample of university students and investigated the possibility of changes in the AQ and associated factors.

Methods

The AQ, University Personality Inventory (UPI), and the willingness of the students to be interviewed were determined at admission in students from four departments of Kochi University; the AQ was determined again in the second year. Changes in the AQ and associated factors were analyzed statistically.

Results

The number of valid responses in the initial survey was 3427 (87.2%). The AQ was significantly higher in the group with high UPI scores (F = 156.08, P < 0.001). Of the 486 students interviewed at admission, 22 had suspected ASD. The sensitivity/specificity of the AQ for ASD was 81.8%/92.0%. A total of 319 (11.0%) students responded to the second‐year survey, which revealed significant decrease of the AQ in the group with high AQ values at admission.

Discussion

The AQ measured at admission was correlated with the UPI score, regardless of the sex or department; in the second survey, the scores decreased significantly in those with high AQ values at admission, suggesting that an unstable mental state can produce a temporary increase of the AQ scores.
A Petrographic Study of the Anthropomorphic Stelae from the Megalithic Area of Saint‐Martin‐De‐Corléans (Aosta, Northern Italy)
Authors: Rubinetto V. , Appolonia L. , De Leo S. , Serra M. , Borghi A.
Published: August 2013

The Megalithic Area of Saint‐Martin‐de‐Corléans (Aosta, northern Italy) consists of anthropomorphic stelae dated to the Copper Age and the beginning of the Early Bronze Age. They were carved in different lithologies of varying provenance according to two successive artistic styles, ‘ancient’ and ‘evolved’. A minero‐chemical and a petrographic investigation were carried out on 47 stelae and on reference samples collected from eight different outcrops, aiming to define the provenance of the stone materials. The variety of rocks used for the manufacture of the stelae reflects the geological complexity of the Aosta Valley. Most of the stelae examined were classified as foliated impure marbles, grey banded marbles (‘Bardiglio’), calcschists and metabasites belonging to the Combin Zone (Piedmont Nappe), which outcrops in close proximity to the Megalithic Area. Some stelae of the evolved group consisted of massive marbles with silicate‐bearing layers, attributed to the Sion–Courmayeur Zone. Similar stone materials were reported for the stelae of the same age found at the archaeological area of Petit Chasseur (Sion, Switzerland). This is archaeometric confirmation of the archaeological affinity between the stelae occurring at the two prehistoric sites, supporting the hypothesis of cultural exchanges over the Grand St Bernard Pass since the Early Copper Age.
Factorial invariance of the Patient Health Questionnaire and Generalized Anxiety Disorder Questionnaire
Authors: Ryan Travis A. , Bailey Alastair , Fearon Pasco , King John
Published: August 2013

Objectives

The UK's Improving Access to Psychological Therapies (IAPT) programme uses the Patient Health Questionnaire Depression Scale (PHQ‐9; Kroenke, Spitzer, & Williams, , J. Gen. Intern. Med., 16, 606) and Generalized Anxiety Disorder Scale (GAD‐7; Spitzer et al., , Arch. Intern. Med., 166, 1092) to assess patients' symptoms of depression and anxiety respectively. Data are typically collected via telephone or face‐to‐face; however, no study has statistically investigated whether the questionnaires' items operate equivalently across these modes of data collection. This study aimed to address this omission.

Methods & Results

Questionnaire data from patients registered with an IAPT service in London (N = 23,672) were examined. Confirmatory factor analyses suggested that unidimensional factor structures adequately matched observed face‐to‐face and telephone data for the PHQ‐9 and GAD‐7. Invariance analyses revealed that while the PHQ‐9 had equivalent factor loadings and latent means across data collection methods, the GAD‐7 had equivalent factor loadings but unequal latent means. In support of the scales' convergent validity, positive associations between scores on the PHQ‐9 and GAD‐7 emerged.

Conclusions

With the exception of the GAD‐7's latent means, the questionnaires' factor loadings and latent means were equivalent. This suggests that clinicians may meaningfully compare PHQ‐9 data collected face‐to‐face and by telephone; however, such comparisons with the GAD‐7 should be done with caution.

Practitioner points

The PHQ‐9 and GAD‐7's factor loadings were equivalent across data collection methods.

Only the PHQ‐9's latent means were equivalent across data collection methods.

Clinicians may be confident collecting PHQ‐9 data by telephone and face‐to‐face and, then, comparing such data.

Caution is recommended when determining clinical effectiveness using telephone and face‐to‐face GAD‐7 data.

More psychometric research is warranted.
Evolving pharmacology of orphan GPCRs: IUPHAR Commentary
Authors: Davenport Anthony P , Harmar Anthony J
Published: August 2013

The award of the 2012 Nobel Prize in Chemistry to Robert Lefkowitz and Brian Kobilka for their work on the structure and function of GPCRs, spanning a period of more than 20 years from the cloning of the human β2‐adrenoceptor to determining the crystal structure of the same protein, has earned both researchers a much deserved place in the pantheon of major scientific discoveries. GPCRs comprise one of the largest families of proteins, controlling many major physiological processes and have been a major focus of the International Union of Basic and Clinical Pharmacology Committee on Receptor Nomenclature and Drug Classification (NC‐IUPHAR) since its inception in 1987. We report here recent efforts by the British Pharmacological Society and NC‐IUPHAR to define the endogenous ligands of ‘orphan’ GPCRs and to place authoritative and accessible information about these crucial therapeutic targets online.
The orthosteric GABAA receptor ligand Thio‐4‐PIOL displays distinctly different functional properties at synaptic and extrasynaptic receptors
Authors: Hoestgaard‐Jensen K , O'Connor R M , Dalby N O , Simonsen C , Finger B C , Golubeva A , Hammer H , Bergmann M L , Kristiansen U , Krogsgaard‐Larsen P , Bräuner‐Osborne H , Ebert B , Frølund B , Cryan J F , Jensen A A
Published: August 2013

Background and Purpose

Explorations into the heterogeneous population of native GABA type A receptors (GABAARs) and the physiological functions governed by the multiple GABAAR subtypes have for decades been hampered by the lack of subtype‐selective ligands.

Experimental Approach

The functional properties of the orthosteric GABAA receptor ligand 5‐(4‐piperidyl)‐3‐isothiazolol (Thio‐4‐PIOL) have been investigated in vitro, ex vivo and in vivo.

Key Results

Thio‐4‐PIOL displayed substantial partial agonist activity at the human extrasynaptic GABAAR subtypes expressed in Xenopus oocytes, eliciting maximal responses of up to ∼30% of that of GABA at α5β3γ2S, α4β3δ and α6β3δ and somewhat lower efficacies at the corresponding α5β2γ2S, α4β2δ and α6β2δ subtypes (maximal responses of 4–12%). In contrast, it was an extremely low efficacious agonist at the α1β3γ2S, α1β2γ2S, α2β2γ2S, α2β3γ2S, α3β2γ2S and α3β3γ2S GABAARs (maximal responses of 0–4%). In concordance with its agonism at extrasynaptic GABAARs and its de facto antagonism at the synaptic receptors, Thio‐4‐PIOL elicited robust tonic currents in electrophysiological recordings on slices from rat CA1 hippocampus and ventrobasal thalamus and antagonized phasic currents in hippocampal neurons. Finally, the observed effects of Thio‐4‐PIOL in rat tests of anxiety, locomotion, nociception and spatial memory were overall in good agreement with its in vitro and ex vivo properties.

Conclusion and Implications

The diverse signalling characteristics of Thio‐4‐PIOL at GABAARs represent one of the few examples of a functionally subtype‐selective orthosteric GABAAR ligand reported to date. We propose that Thio‐4‐PIOL could be a useful pharmacological tool in future studies exploring the physiological roles of native synaptic and extrasynaptic GABAARs.
Bounded rationality, expectations, and child labour
Authors: Emerson Patrick M. , Knabb Shawn D.
Published: August 2013

This paper develops a model with overlapping generations, where the household's optimal fertility, child labour, and education decisions depend on the parents’ expectations or beliefs about the return to education. It is shown that there exists a range of parental income where the fertility rate is high and children participate in the labour market and receive an incomplete education if a parent believes the return to education is low. The act of participating in the labour market reduces the child's ability to accumulate human capital; thus, the action of sending a child into the labour market is sufficient to ensure that the parents’ initially pessimistic expectations are fulfilled. It is then shown that a one‐time policy intervention, such as banning child labour and mandatory education, can be enough to move a country from the positive child labour equilibrium to an equilibrium with no child labour.
Does complexity explain the structure of trade?
Authors: Minondo Asier , Requena‐Silvente Francisco
Published: August 2013

This paper analyzes whether complexity, measured by the number of skilled tasks that are performed in production, explains countries’ commodity trade structure. We modify the Romalis model to incorporate advantage differences in complexity across commodities together with differences in the number of mistakes made by workers in the production process in developed and developing countries as a source of comparative advantage. Our model predicts that the share of developed countries in world trade increases with products’ complexity. Empirical tests confirm this prediction. Moreover, we find that complexity complements the explanation provided by skill‐intensity on countries’ commodity trade structure.
Income convergence among U.S. states: cross‐sectional and time series evidence
Authors: Heckelman Jac C.
Published: August 2013

We perform convergence tests on the U.S. states for per capita income from 1930 to 2009. Cross‐sectional tests support overall σ‐convergence and β‐convergence but may not hold true for the last three decades. Time series tests suggest that about half of the states exhibit stochastic convergence and of these all are also β‐converging. Probit regressions reveal that the likelihood a state is converging is a function of changing capital to labour ratios, the size of the agricultural sector, and levels of taxation and tax revenue. Regional disparities in convergence remain among the southern and midwestern states.
On indeterminacy and growth under progressive taxation and productive government spending
Authors: Chen Shu‐Hua , Guo Jang‐Ting
Published: August 2013

We examine the theoretical interrelations between equilibrium (in)determinacy and economic growth in a one‐sector representative‐agent model of endogenous growth with progressive taxation of income and productive flow of public spending. We analytically show that, if the demand‐side effect of government purchases is weaker, the economy exhibits an indeterminate balanced‐growth equilibrium and belief‐driven growth fluctuations when the tax schedule is sufficiently progressive or regressive. If the supply‐side effect of public expenditures is weaker, indeterminacy and sunspots arise under progressive income taxation. In sharp contrast to traditional Keynesian‐type stabilization policies, our analysis finds that raising the tax progressivity may destabilize an endogenously growing economy with fluctuations driven by agents’ self‐fulfilling expectations.
Discovery of HIV‐1 Integrase Inhibitors: Pharmacophore Mapping, Virtual Screening, Molecular Docking, Synthesis, and Biological Evaluation
Authors: Bhatt Hardik , Patel Paresh , Pannecouque Christophe
Published: August 2013

HIV‐1 integrase enzyme plays an important role in the life cycle of HIV and responsible for integration of virus into human genome. Here, both computational and synthetic approaches were used to design and synthesize newer HIV‐1 integrase inhibitors. Pharmacophore mapping was performed on 20 chemically diverse molecules using DISCOtech, and refinement was carried out using GASP. Ten pharmacophore models were generated, and model 2, containing four features including two donor sites, one acceptor atom, and one hydrophobic region, was considered the best model as it has the highest fitness score. It was used as a query in NCI and Maybridge databases. Molecules having more than 99% Qfit value were used to design 30 molecules bearing pteridine ring and were docked on co‐crystal structure of HIV‐1 integrase enzyme. Among these, six molecules, showing good docking score compared with the reference standards, were synthesized by conventional as well as microwave‐assisted methods. All compounds were characterized by physical and spectral data and evaluated for in vitro anti‐HIV activity against the replication of HIV‐1 (IIIB) in MT‐4 cells. The used approach of molecular docking and anti‐HIV activity data of designed molecules will provide significant insights to discover novel HIV‐1 Integrase Inhibitors.
Screening of Drug Target Proteins by 2D Ligand Matching Approach
Authors: Feng Jianyu , Guo Hong , Wang Jian , Lu Tun
Published: August 2013

Drugs interacting with off‐target proteins would bring about side‐effects. The identification of the proteins that a drug can bind is thus valuable for evaluating its side‐effects. We established a system based on PDB database for screening for proteins a drug could bind. Firstly, all complexes in the PDB database were sorted by species; then, a ligand database was established by extracting ligands from the structure data files. Secondly, all proteins were clustered according to their sequence similarity with the protein originally bound with the ligand in PDB. To search the potential target proteins of a drug, the query drug structure is compared with all ligands in the database to obtain similar scores. Ligands with similar sores greater than a certain threshold were flagged. Protein clusters associating with these ligands would be considered as potential targets of the query drug. To test the reliability of this approach, three drugs from DrugBank were used to search for their binding proteins by our method. The results showed that all the corresponding target proteins were found. The method presented here was rapid, scalable and could be used for high efficient drug side‐effects analysis.
The Eyes Know Time: A Novel Paradigm to Reveal the Development of Temporal Memory
Authors: Pathman Thanujeni , Ghetti Simona
Published: August 2013

Temporal memory in 7‐year‐olds, 10‐year‐olds, and young adults (N = 78) was examined introducing a novel eye‐movement paradigm. Participants learned object sequences and were tested under three conditions: temporal order, temporal context, and recognition. Age‐related improvements in accuracy were found across conditions; accuracy in the temporal conditions was correlated with conventional time knowledge. Eye movements tracked the veridicality of temporal order memory in adults and 10‐year‐olds seconds before providing memory judgments, suggesting that these movements reflect implicit access to temporal information. Seven‐year‐olds overall did not show this eye‐movement effect, but those who did were more accurate than those who did not. Results suggest that eye movements capture aspects of temporal memory development that precede overt decision processes—with implications for hippocampal development.
Parental attitudes, values, and beliefs toward the return of results from exome sequencing in children
Authors: Sapp J.C. , Dong D. , Stark C. , Ivey L.E. , Hooker G. , Biesecker L.G. , Biesecker B.B.
Published: August 2013

Exome sequencing is being offered for children with undiagnosed conditions to identify a primary (causative) variant. Parental preferences for learning secondary (incidental) variants are largely unexplored. Our objective was to characterize values and beliefs that shape parents' preferences for learning their children's sequencing results. We conducted semi‐structured interviews with 25 parents of 13 minor probands with a variety of rare genetic conditions. Parents were asked to discuss their preferences to receive four types of results from exome sequencing. Many parents preferred to receive all types of results. Parents had the most positive attitudes toward learning about variants that predispose to disorders treatable or preventable in childhood. They had reservations about learning about predispositions for untreatable adult‐onset conditions and carrier status for recessive conditions. Parents described their success in coping with their child's condition as evidence for an ability to manage any additional negative health information. They felt responsible for learning about secondary variants, desiring a gain in control over their child's health. Our findings suggest that investigators should incorporate parents' perceptions of the value in receiving secondary variant information about their children when designing studies employing exome sequencing.