bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Interspecies signalling: Pseudomonas putida efflux pump TtgGHI is activated by indole to increase antibiotic resistance
Authors: Molina‐Santiago Carlos , Daddaoua Abdelali , Fillet Sandy , Duque Estrella , Ramos Juan‐Luis
Published: December 2013

In Gram‐negative bacteria, multidrug efflux pumps are responsible for the extrusion of chemicals that are deleterious for growth. Some of these efflux pumps are induced by endogenously produced effectors, while abiotic or biotic signals induce the expression of other efflux pumps. In Pseudomonas putida, the TtgABC efflux pump is the main antibiotic extrusion system that respond to exogenous antibiotics through the modulation of the expression of this operon mediated by TtgR. The plasmid‐encoded TtgGHI efflux pump in P. putida plays a minor role in antibiotic resistance in the parental strain; however, its role is critical in isogenic backgrounds deficient in TtgABC. Expression of ttgGHI is repressed by the TtgV regulator that recognizes indole as an effector, although P. putida does not produce indole itself. Because indole is not produced by Pseudomonas, the indole‐dependent antibiotic resistance seems to be part of an antibiotic resistance programme at the community level. Pseudomonas putida recognizes indole added to the medium or produced by Escherichia coli in mixed microbial communities. Transcriptomic analyses revealed that the indole‐specific response involves activation of 43 genes and repression of 23 genes. Indole enhances not only the expression of the TtgGHI pump but also a set of genes involved in iron homeostasis, as well as genes for amino acid catabolism. In a ttgABC‐deficient P. putida, background ampicillin and other bactericidal compounds lead to cell death. Co‐culture of E. coli and P. putida ΔttgABC allowed growth of the P. putida mutant in the presence of ampicillin because of induction of the indole‐dependent efflux pump.
Highly polymorphic markers reveal the establishment of an invasive lineage of the citrus bacterial pathogen Xanthomonas citri pv. citri in its area of origin
Authors: Vernière Christian , Bui Thi Ngoc Lan , Jarne Philippe , Ravigné Virginie , Guérin Fabien , Gagnevin Lionel , Le Mai Nhat , Chau Nguyen M. , Pruvost Olivier
Published: December 2013

Investigating the population biology of plant pathogens in their native areas is essential to understand the factors that shape their population structure and favour their spread. Monomorphic pathogens dispatch extremely low genetic diversity in invaded areas, and native areas constitute a major reservoir for future emerging strains. One of these, the gammaproteobacterium Xanthomonas citri pv. citri, causes Asiatic canker and is a considerable threat to citrus worldwide. We studied its population genetic structure by genotyping 555 strains from 12 Vietnam provinces at 14 tandem repeat loci and insertion sequences. Discriminant analysis of principal components identified six clusters. Five of them were composed of endemic strains distributed heterogeneously across sampled provinces. A sixth cluster, VN6, displayed a much lower diversity and a clonal expansion structure, suggesting recent epidemic spread. No differences in aggressiveness on citrus or resistance to bactericides were detected between VN6 and other strains. VN6 likely represents a case of bioinvasion following introduction in a native area likely through contaminated plant propagative material. Highly polymorphic markers are useful for revealing migration patterns of recently introduced populations of a monomorphic bacterial plant pathogen.
Toxin GhoT of the GhoT/GhoS toxin/antitoxin system damages the cell membrane to reduce adenosine triphosphate and to reduce growth under stress
Authors: Cheng Hsin‐Yao , Soo Valerie W. C. , Islam Sabina , McAnulty Michael J. , Benedik Michael J. , Wood Thomas K.
Published: December 2013

Toxin/antitoxin (TA) systems perhaps enable cells to reduce their metabolism to weather environmental challenges although there is little evidence to support this hypothesis. Escherichia coli GhoT/GhoS is a TA system in which toxin GhoT expression is reduced by cleavage of its messenger RNA (mRNA) by antitoxin GhoS, and TA system MqsR/MqsA controls GhoT/GhoS through differential mRNA decay. However, the physiological role of GhoT has not been determined. We show here through transmission electron microscopy, confocal microscopy and fluorescent stains that GhoT reduces metabolism by damaging the membrane and that toxin MqsR (a 5′‐GCU‐specific endoribonuclease) causes membrane damage in a GhoT‐dependent manner. This membrane damage results in reduced cellular levels of ATP and the disruption of proton motive force (PMF). Normally, GhoT is localized to the pole and does not cause cell lysis under physiological conditions. Introduction of an F38R substitution results in loss of GhoT toxicity, ghost cell production and membrane damage while retaining the pole localization. Also, deletion of ghoST or ghoT results in significantly greater initial growth in the presence of antimicrobials. Collectively, these results demonstrate that GhoT reduces metabolism by reducing ATP and PMF and that this reduction in metabolism is important for growth with various antimicrobials.
Transcriptional profiling of Gram‐positive Arthrobacter in the phyllosphere: induction of pollutant degradation genes by natural plant phenolic compounds
Authors: Scheublin Tanja R. , Deusch Simon , Moreno‐Forero Silvia K. , Müller Jochen A. , van der Meer Jan Roelof , Leveau Johan H. J.
Published: December 2013

Arthrobacter chlorophenolicus A6 is a Gram‐positive, 4‐chlorophenol‐degrading soil bacterium that was recently shown to be an effective colonizer of plant leaf surfaces. The genetic basis for this phyllosphere competency is unknown. In this paper, we describe the genome‐wide expression profile of A. chlorophenolicus on leaves of common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris) compared with growth on agar surfaces. In phyllosphere‐grown cells, we found elevated expression of several genes known to contribute to epiphytic fitness, for example those involved in nutrient acquisition, attachment, stress response and horizontal gene transfer. A surprising result was the leaf‐induced expression of a subset of the so‐called cph genes for the degradation of 4‐chlorophenol. This subset encodes the conversion of the phenolic compound hydroquinone to 3‐oxoadipate, and was shown to be induced not only by 4‐chlorophenol but also hydroquinone, its glycosylated derivative arbutin, and phenol. Small amounts of hydroquinone, but not arbutin or phenol, were detected in leaf surface washes of P. vulgaris by gas chromatography‐mass spectrometry. Our findings illustrate the utility of genomics approaches for exploration and improved understanding of a microbial habitat. Also, they highlight the potential for phyllosphere‐based priming of bacteria to stimulate pollutant degradation, which holds promise for the application of phylloremediation.
Herbivorous rodents (Neotoma spp.) harbour abundant and active foregut microbiota
Authors: Kohl Kevin D. , Miller Aaron W. , Marvin James E. , Mackie Roderick , Dearing M. Denise
Published: December 2013

Symbiotic gut microbes have facilitated the success of herbivorous mammals, which are generally grouped into foregut‐ and hindgut‐fermenters. However, rodents are primarily herbivorous and exhibit a variety of gastrointestinal anatomies. Most rodents house microbes in hindgut chambers, such as the caecum and colon. Some rodents also exhibit stomach segmentation with a foregut chamber proximal to the stomach. For over a century, scientists have hypothesized that this foregut chamber houses a microbial community, yet this has never been explicitly examined. We investigated the capacity of each of the gut regions to house microbes by measuring size, pH, bacterial cell density, concentrations of microbial metabolites and digesta transit time in woodrats (Neotoma spp.). We also compared microbial communities across gut chambers, as well as faeces, using 16S rRNA sequencing. This allowed us to test the appropriateness of using faeces as a proxy for microbial communities of other gut chambers. We found that woodrats house foregut microbial communities with similar density and volatile fatty acid concentrations to rumen ecosystems. Resident microbial communities varied between gut chambers, and faecal bacterial communities were significantly different from caecal and colonic communities. The foregut microbiota may provide a number of physiological services to the host.
Do Japanese consumers care about sustainable fisheries? Evidence from an auction of ecolabelled seafood
Authors: Uchida Hirotsugu , Roheim Cathy A. , Wakamatsu Hiroki , Anderson Christopher M.
Published: December 2013

This paper investigates Japanese consumers' willingness to pay for Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) ecolabelled seafood using a sealed bid, second price auction. Participants in an experiment in Tokyo were provided varying degrees of information about the status of world and Japanese fisheries and the MSC program in sequential rounds of bidding on ecolabelled and nonlabelled salmon products. A random‐effects tobit regression shows that there is a statistically significant premium of about 20 per cent for MSC‐ecolabelled salmon over nonlabelled salmon when consumers are provided information on both the status of global fish stocks and the purpose of the MSC program. This premium arises from a combination of an increased willingness to pay for labelled products and a decreased willingness to pay for unlabelled products. However, in the absence of experimenter‐provided information, or when provided information about the purpose of the MSC program alone without concurrent information about the need for the MSC program, there is no statistically significant premium.
Too Afraid to Learn: Attitudes towards Statistics as a Barrier to Learning Statistics and to Acquiring Quantitative Skills
Authors: Slootmaeckers Koen , Kerremans Bart , Adriaensen Johan
Published: December 2013

Quantitative skills are important for studying and understanding social reality. Political science students, however, experience difficulties in acquiring and retaining such skills. Fear of statistics has often been listed among the major causes for this problem. This study aims at understanding the underlying factors for this anxiety and proposes a potential remedy. More specifically, we advocate the integration of quantitative material into non-methodological courses. After assessing the influence of dispositional, course-related and person-related factors on the attitudes towards statistics among political science students, we provide insights into the relation between these attitudes on the one hand and the learning and retention of statistics skills on the other. Our results indicate that a curriculum-wide approach to normalise the use of quantitative methods can not only foster interest in statistics but also foster retention of the acquired skills.
A pairwise relatedness estimator for polyploids
Authors: Huang Kang , Ritland Kermit , Guo Songtao , Shattuck Milena , Li Baoguo
Published: December 2013

Studies in genetics and ecology often require estimates of relatedness coefficients based on genetic marker data. Many diploid estimators have been developed using either method‐of‐moments or maximum‐likelihood estimates. However, there are no relatedness estimators for polyploids. The development of a moment estimator for polyploids with polysomic inheritance, which simultaneously incorporates the two‐gene relatedness coefficient and various ‘higher‐order’ coefficients, is described here. The performance of the estimator is compared to other estimators under a variety of conditions. When using a small number of loci, the estimator is biased because of an increase in ill‐conditioned matrices. However, the estimator becomes asymptotically unbiased with large numbers of loci. The ambiguity of polyploid heterozygotes (when balanced heterozygotes cannot be distinguished from unbalanced heterozygotes) is also considered; as with low numbers of loci, genotype ambiguity leads to bias. A software, PolyRelatedness, implementing this method and supporting a maximum ploidy of 8 is provided.
Microenvironments of reduced salinity harbour biofilms in Dead Sea underwater springs
Authors: Häusler Stefan , Noriega‐Ortega Beatriz E. , Polerecky Lubos , Meyer Volker , de Beer Dirk , Ionescu Danny
Published: December 2013

The Dead Sea is a hypersaline lake where only few types of organisms can grow. Recently, abundant and diverse microbial life was discovered in biofilms covering rocks and permeable sediments around underwater freshwater springs and seeps. We used a newly developed salinity mini‐sensor (spatial resolution 300 μm) to investigate the salinity environment around these biofilms in a flume that simulates an underwater spring. Compared with the hypersaline bulk water, salinity at the sediment surface decreased to zero at seeping velocities of 7 cm s−1. At similar flow velocities, salinity above rocks decreased to 100–200 g L−1 at a distance of 300 μm from the surface. This depended on the position on the rock, and coincided with locations of natural biofilms. The salinity reduction substantially diminished at flow velocities of 3.5 cm s−1. We suggest that locally decreased salinity due to freshwater input is one of the main factors that make areas around underwater freshwater springs and seeps in the Dead Sea more favourable for life. However, due to frequent fluctuations in the freshwater flow, the locally decreased salinity is unstable. Therefore, microorganisms that inhabit these environments must be capable of withstanding large and rapid salinity fluctuations.
Neural mechanisms of high‐risk decisions‐to‐drink in alcohol‐dependent women
Authors: Arcurio Lindsay R. , Finn Peter R. , James Thomas W.
Published: December 2013

A hallmark of alcohol dependence (AD) is continually drinking despite the risk of negative consequences. Currently, it is not known if the pattern of disordered activation in AD is more compatible with an over‐sensitive reward system, a deficit in control systems or a combination of both to produce the high risk‐taking behavior observed in alcohol dependents (ADs). Here, alcohol cues were used in an ecological decisions‐to‐drink task that involved high‐ and low‐risk scenarios where the chance of serious negative imagined consequences was varied. Non‐alcohol cues were included as control stimuli. Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) was used to measure blood oxygen level‐dependent (BOLD) signal change in 15 alcohol‐dependent and 16 control women. This design allowed us to address two major questions concerning AD: first, is there a specific pattern of disordered activation that drives the heightened endorsement of high‐risk decisions‐to‐drink in ADs? And, second, is that pattern specific to decisions‐to‐drink or does it generalize to other appetitive and/or neutral cues? The results showed that, during high‐risk decisions‐to‐drink, alcohol‐dependent women activated reward circuits, cognitive control circuits and regions of the default‐mode network (DMN), while control women deactivated approach circuits and showed enhanced activation in regions of the DMN. Group differences were found only for decisions‐to‐drink, suggesting that they are specific to alcohol cues. Simultaneous activation of reward networks, cognitive control networks and the DMN in alcohol‐dependent women suggests that over‐endorsement of high‐risk drinking decisions by alcohol‐dependent women may be due to a problem with switching between different neural networks.
Uric acid has a J‐shaped association with cardiovascular and all‐cause mortality in kidney transplant recipients
Authors: Dahle Dag Olav , Jenssen Trond , Holdaas Hallvard , Leivestad Torbjørn , Vårdal Mari , Mjøen Geir , Reisæter Anna V. , Toft Ingrid , Hartmann Anders
Published: December 2013

The association between serum uric acid and kidney graft and recipient survival is uncertain. During 2000–2011, we measured serum uric acid at week 10 after transplantation. Of 2748 transplanted patients, 2200 (80.1%) attended this visit. After a median follow‐up of 7.4 yr, 378 patients had died, 143 from a cardiovascular cause, and 185 patients lost their graft. The third quintile of uric acid levels (357–405 μM) had the lowest mortality risk and was used as reference group. In Cox proportional hazard models adjusting for graft and patient characteristics, the fifth quintile of uric acid levels (>474 μM) was independently associated with cardiovascular mortality (hazard ratio [HR] = 2.87 [1.55–5.32], p = 0.001) and all‐cause mortality (HR = 1.57 [1.09–2.25], p = 0.02). Also, the lowest quintile of uric acid levels (<309 μM) showed a trend toward increased risk of cardiovascular mortality (HR = 1.79 [0.90–3.58], p = 0.10) and all‐cause mortality (HR = 1.31 [0.89–1.93], p = 0.18). The increased risk at low uric acid levels was confined to diabetic recipients. Uric acid was not associated with death‐censored graft loss. In conclusion, uric acid has a J‐shaped association with cardiovascular and all‐cause mortality in kidney transplant recipients.
Association of pre‐transplant blood pressure with post‐transplant outcomes
Authors: Molnar Miklos Z. , Foster Clarence E. , Sim John J. , Remport Adam , Krishnan Mahesh , Kovesdy Csaba P. , Kalantar‐Zadeh Kamyar
Published: December 2013

Background

Previous studies have indicated U‐shaped associations between blood pressure (BP) and mortality in dialysis patients. We hypothesized that a similar association exists between pre‐transplant BP and post‐transplant outcomes in dialysis patients who undergo successful kidney transplantation.

Methods

Data from the Scientific Registry of Transplant Recipients were linked to the five‐yr cohort of a large dialysis organization in the United States. We identified all dialysis patients who received a kidney transplant during this period. Unadjusted and multivariate adjusted predictors of transplant outcomes were examined.

Results

A total of 13 881 patients included in our study were 47 ± 14 yr old and included 42% women. There was no association between pre‐transplant systolic BP and post‐transplant mortality, although a decreased risk trend was observed in those with low post‐dialysis systolic BP. Compared to patients with pre‐dialysis diastolic BP 70 to <80 mmHg, patients with pre‐dialysis diastolic BP <50 mmHg experienced lower risk of post‐transplant death (hazard ratios [HR]: 0.74, 95% CI: 0.55–0.99). However, compared to patients with post‐dialysis diastolic BP 70 to <80 mmHg, patients with post‐dialysis diastolic BP ≥100 mmHg experienced higher risk of death (HR: 3.50, 95% CI: 1.57–7.84). In addition, very low (<50 mmHg for diastolic BP and <110 mmHg for systolic BP) pre‐transplant BP was associated with lower risk of graft loss.

Conclusions

Low post‐dialysis systolic BP and low pre‐dialysis diastolic BP are associated with lower post‐transplant risk of death, whereas very high post‐dialysis diastolic BP is associated with higher mortality in kidney transplant recipients. BP variations in dialysis patients prior to kidney transplantation may have a bearing on post‐transplant outcome, which warrants additional studies.
Improving the potential for organ donation in an inner city Muslim American community: the impact of a religious educational intervention
Authors: Hafzalah Mina , Azzam Ruba , Testa Giuliano , Hoehn K. Sarah
Published: December 2013

Objective

We aimed to assess the willingness of Muslim Americans to be potential organ donors, to describe potential religious barriers to organ donation, and to evaluate the efficacy of a brief religious educational intervention.

Methods

Face‐to‐face survey with English‐, Arabic‐, and Urdu‐speaking Muslim American adults in places of worship and gatherings. The two‐part survey included questions about demographics and organ donation. A brief educational intervention followed, which included an explanation of organ donation, along with the evidence for Islam's support for organ donation. After this intervention, the questions about organ donation and brain death were repeated.

Results

The response rate was 81% (231 of 285). Fifty percent of the respondents would donate their organs. Twenty‐five percent changed their opinion and accepted the idea of being donors after the educational intervention. Lack of awareness of the support of Islam to organ donation and fear of disfigurement were the most common barriers cited.

Conclusion

Muslim Americans are less likely than Caucasian Americans to be organ donors, and the perceived lack of support from Islam for organ donation is a factor. The effectiveness of our brief religious education intervention suggests that further education may improve organ donation rates among the Muslim community.
Associations between alcohol, smoking, socioeconomic status and comorbidities: Evidence from the 45 and Up Study
Authors: Bonevski Billie , Regan Tim , Paul Chris , Baker Amanda L. , Bisquera Alessandra
Published: December 2013

Introduction and Aims.

Understanding how tobacco, alcohol and mental health are related is important for developing population‐level policies and individual‐level treatments that target comorbidities. The current study aimed to examine sociodemographic characteristics and mental health comorbidities associated with the odds of using tobacco and harmful levels of alcohol concurrently.

Design and Methods.

Data were drawn from the 45 and Up Study, a large cohort study with 267 153 adults aged 45 years and over in New South Wales, Australia. Participants completed a survey assessing alcohol, smoking, psychological distress, treatment for depression and anxiety, and a range of socioeconomic status indicators. Univariate analyses and three multiple‐logistic regression models were used to determine associations with (i) tobacco but not alcohol use; (ii) alcohol but not tobacco use; and (iii) concurrent tobacco and risky levels of alcohol use.

Results.

Being female, younger, lower individual and area‐level socioeconomic status (SES) and depression and psychological distress were associated with tobacco use alone. Factors associated with alcohol use alone were older age, male gender, higher SES, and lower psychological distress and no recent depression treatment. Factors associated with concurrent risky alcohol consumption and tobacco use included being 45–64, being male, less education, earning <$30 000, being employed, and living in lower‐SES areas, treatment for depression, and high distress on the Kessler‐10.

Discussion and Conclusions.

Results suggest strong links between SES, treatment for depression, psychological distress, and concurrent tobacco and alcohol use. This has implications for public health policies and clinical treatment for tobacco and alcohol use, suggesting greater emphasis on addressing multiple health and social concerns. [Bonevski B, Regan T, Paul C, Baker AL, Bisquera A. Associations between alcohol, smoking, socioeconomic status and comorbidities: Evidence from the 45 and Up Study. Drug Alcohol Rev 2014;33:169–176]
Diagnostic Accuracy of Transesophageal Echocardiogram for the Detection of Patent Foramen Ovale: A Meta‐Analysis
Authors: Mojadidi Mohammad Khalid , Bogush Nikolay , Caceres Jose Diego , Msaouel Pavlos , Tobis Jonathan M.
Published: December 2013

Background

Patent foramen ovale (PFO) is a remnant of the fetal circulation present in 20% of the population. Right‐to‐left shunting (RLS) through a PFO has been linked to the pathophysiology of stroke, migraine with aura, and hypoxemia. While different imaging modalities including transcranial Doppler, intra‐cardiac echo, and transthoracic echo (TTE) have often been used to detect RLS, transesophageal echo (TEE) bubble study remains the gold standard for diagnosing PFO. The aim of this study was to determine the relative accuracy of TEE in the detection of PFO.

Methods and Results

A systematic review of Medline, using a standard approach for meta‐analysis, was performed for all prospective studies assessing accuracy of TEE in the detection of PFO using confirmation by autopsy, cardiac surgery, and/or catheterization as the reference. Search results revealed 3105 studies; 4 met inclusion criteria. A total of 164 patients were included. TEE had a weighted sensitivity of 89.2% (95% CI: 81.1–94.7%) and specificity of 91.4% (95% CI: 82.3–96.8%) to detect PFO. The overall positive likelihood ratio (LR+) was 5.93 (95% CI: 1.30–27.09) and the overall negative likelihood ratio (LR−) was 0.22 (95% CI: 0.08–0.56).

Conclusion

While TEE bubble study is considered to be the gold standard modality for diagnosing PFO, some PFOs may still be missed or misdiagnosed. It is important to understand the limitations of TEE and perhaps use other highly sensitive screening tests, such as transcranial doppler (TCD), in conjunction with TEE before scheduling a patient for transcatheter PFO closure.
Echocardiographic Images of a Melody Valve in the Tricuspid Position
Authors: Khan Sairah , Cheatham John P. , Kollins Kevin , Cua Clifford L.
Published: December 2013

Mini‐Abstract

Implantation of the Melody valve in the pulmonary position is well described, but implantation of this valve in other valvular positions is limited to small case series. Intra‐cardiac and three‐dimensional echocardiography clearly delineates the mechanism of tricuspid valve failure and subsequent competency of the Melody valve in the tricuspid position in this 5‐year‐old male with complex medical history. As percutaneous implantation of this valve increases in the other valve positions, obtaining images that clearly define the mechanism of the initial valve failure as well as verifying proper placement and function of the implanted valve will be essential.
A Coronary–Pulmonary Artery Fistula with Giant Aneurysm in a Child with Ventricular Septal Defect with Pulmonary Atresia
Authors: Mahimaiha Jayaranganath , Patra Soumya , Mandikal Kodanda Rama Sastry Usha , Subramaniam Anand , Agrawal Navin , Nanjappa Manjunath Cholenahally
Published: December 2013

Mini‐Abstract

Pulmonary atresia with ventricular septal defect accounts for about 2% of all congenital heart diseases. Aortopulmonary collaterals are the usual source of pulmonary blood flow. Coronary–pulmonary artery fistula is a rare and sole source of pulmonary blood flow. We are reporting a case of a 6‐year‐old girl who presented with severe cyanosis, clubbing, and effort intolerance. Echocardiography demonstrated a large subaortic ventricular septal defect and pulmonary atresia with confluent pulmonary arteries. It also revealed the presence of a coronary–pulmonary artery fistula along with a giant coronary artery aneurysm. These findings were confirmed by an aortic root angiogram. She was referred for intra‐ cardiac repair.
Left Atrial Remodeling and Recurrence of Congestive Heart Failure in Patients Initially Diagnosed with Heart Failure
Authors: Yamaguchi Kazuto , Yoshitomi Hiroyuki , Ito Shimpei , Ito Saki , Adachi Tomoko , Sato Hirotomo , Watanabe Nobuhide , Kodani Nobuhiro , Sugamori Takashi , Endo Akihiro , Takahashi Nobuyuki , Tanabe Kazuaki
Published: December 2013

Background

Left atrial volumes (LAVs) have been suggested to represent long‐term exposure to elevated pressures. This study examined the recurrence of heart failure (HF) based on LAV in patients initially diagnosed with congestive HF (CHF).

Methods

This study comprised 77 patients (age, 75 ± 8 years) with well‐documented, clinically defined HF, and complete two‐dimensional echocardiographic examinations. The echocardiographic examinations were performed on admission and after medical treatment (90 ± 43 days after initial examination). Patients with atrial fibrillation, flail mitral valve, or mitral valve replacement were excluded from this study.

Results

The initial left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) was 44 ± 17% and the indexed LAV (LAVI) was 61 ± 22 mL/m2. After medical treatment, a decreased LAVI was observed in 38 patients and an increased LAVI (LA remodeling) was observed in 39 patients. With median follow‐up periods of 454 days, compared to patients with decreased LAVI, patients with LA remodeling had a significantly higher incidence of CHF recurrence (P = 0.008). Patients with LA remodeling had a CHF‐free survival rate of 36 ± 13% vs. 81 ± 9% (those without LA remodeling). A multivariate analysis indicated that, follow‐up LV end‐systolic volume (P = 0.04), LVEF (P = 0.005) and LAVI (P = 0.04) independently predicted CHF recurrence.

Conclusions

Patients initially diagnosed with CHF follow divergent courses based on their LAV. LA remodeling after medical treatment can be useful for predicting CHF recurrence during follow‐up.
Doppler‐Derived Strain Imaging Detects Left Ventricular Systolic Dysfunction in Children with Turner Syndrome
Authors: Oz Fahrettin , Cizgici Ahmet Y. , Ucar Ahmet , Karaayvaz Ekrem B. , Kocaaga Mehmet , Bugra Zehra , Mercanoglu Fehmi , Oncul Aytac , Nisli Kemal , Oflaz Huseyin
Published: December 2013

Objectives

Children with Turner syndrome (TS) are at increased risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD), but associations with subclinical CVD are not well‐characterized. The purpose of this study was to assess myocardial function using strain imaging (SI) by echocardiography in children with TS and without known CVD.

Methods

The study included 48 children with TS aged 4–16 years and 20 healthy control children. Children with TS were excluded if they had a cardiac malformation, a decreased left ventricular (LV) systolic function, or any chronic disease. Each child had an echocardiographic examination with conventional echocardiography and one‐dimensional longitudinal strain (1DST) echocardiography.

Results

Septal and lateral systolic strain (S) and strain rate (SR) values, which are indicative of longitudinal myocardial function, were significantly decreased in TS patients. However, LV ejection fraction (LVEF) and LV fractional shortening (LVFS) was not significantly different between groups. LV mass index (LVMi), interventricular septum (IVS) thickness, LV posterior wall (LVPW) thickness, and left atrial (LA) diameter index were significantly higher in TS children compared to controls. Peak transmitral flow velocity in late diastole (peak A) was significantly higher, whereas peak transmitral flow velocity in early diastole (peak E), deceleration time (DT), and the ratio of early to late diastolic filling were significantly lower, in TS patients.

Conclusion

Reduced LV systolic S and SR in children with TS may indicate early myocardial dysfunction before any detectable change in LVEF.
The Neoliberal Racial Project: The Tiger Mother and Governmentality
Authors: Rhee Jeong‐eun
Published: December 2013

Combining the conceptual approach of racial formation and racial projects with the Foucauldian concept of governmentality, Jeong‐eun Rhee theorizes the “neoliberal racial project” (NRP) and examines contemporary meanings and operations of race and racism in relation to neoliberalism. She analyzes Amy Chua's popular parenting memoir, Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother, as a specific case of the NRP, and demonstrates how in this text race is pressed to work in new — neoliberal — ways, re/generating different kinds of categories and meanings, yet also continuously drawing upon old categories and meanings, to effect and rationalize social arrangements of power and exploitation, violence and expropriation. What is noteworthy is the way in which racial neoliberalism builds silently on the structural conditions of racism while disabling the very categories of their recognizability. Consequently, Rhee argues for new, historically bounded theories that can articulate how the meanings, categories, and concepts of races are constantly being reconfigured.
Putting Spivakian Theorizing to Work: Decolonizing Neoliberal Scientism in Education
Authors: Daza Stephanie L.
Published: December 2013

In this article, Stephanie Daza draws on Gayatri Spivak's theorizing to help make visible how education is shaped by an elusive conceptual apparatus of neoliberal scientism. She begins with an example of high‐stakes learning and global competition as commonsensical policy practice at an elementary school. Then Daza develops an analysis that shows the possibilities of a Spivakian theoretical approach as an interpretive practice for education, and teacher education specifically.
Decolonizing the Curriculum for Global Perspectives
Authors: Subedi Binaya
Published: December 2013

In this article Binaya Subedi explores the multiple ways the idea of “global” is theorized within the school curriculum and suggests the utility of approaching the idea of global perspectives through decolonizing frameworks. In particular, she explores the deficit, accommodation, and decolonization approaches as offering three ways that the notion of global has been or can be infused within the school curriculum. Subedi traces the politics each of these approaches may advocate and the kinds of knowledge that may be included or silenced when proposing the utility of learning about global formations. The article proposes that scholars utilize decolonizing lenses to scrutinize how the idea of global perspectives has been articulated within writings on globalizing and internationalizing the curriculum.
Cytogenetic classification in Korean multiple myeloma patients: prognostic significance of hyperdiploidy with 47–50 chromosomes and the number of structural abnormalities
Authors: Lim Ji‐Hun , Seo Eul‐Ju , Park Chan‐Jeoung , Jang Seongsoo , Chi Hyun‐Sook , Suh Cheolwon , Kim Hawk , Kim Sung‐Ryul
Published: December 2013

Chromosomal abnormalities are important prognostic factors for patients diagnosed with multiple myeloma (MM). We retrospectively reviewed the clinical and laboratory data of 525 MM patients to assess the abnormalities frequently found by conventional cytogenetic analysis and to determine their relationship to prognosis and clinical parameters. Samples from 222 (42.3%) patients had abnormal karyotypes. Hyperdiploidy‐1 (>50 chromosomes), hyperdiploidy‐2 (47–50 chromosomes), pseudodiploidy (46 with abnormalities), and hypodiploidy (<46 chromosomes) were found in 55, 44, 42, and 81 patients, respectively. The median overall survival (OS) was significantly shorter in patients with hyperdiploidy‐2 (20.9 months), pseudodiploidy (19.9 months), and hypodiploidy (18.3 months) compared with patients with normal karyotype (66 months) and hyperdiploidy‐1 (55.4 months) (P < 0.001). Among patients with chromosomal abnormalities, those with 1q amplification had a shorter median OS (17 vs. 25.1 months, P = 0.018). Patients with a chromosome 13 deletion in the pseudodiploidy group also had a shorter OS. A karyotype with more than six structural abnormalities was found to have the most significant independent prognostic value by multivariate analysis. These data show that hyperdiploidy with 47–50 chromosomes should be recategorized as an unfavorable risk group, and the number of structural abnormalities needs to be considered as an important factor for prognosis. In conclusion, our findings imply that subclassification of chromosomal abnormalities by conventional cytogenetics could be applied to the prognostic assessment of MM.
Long‐term follow‐up after callosotomy—A prospective, population based, observational study
Authors: Stigsdotter‐Broman Lina , Olsson Ingrid , Flink Roland , Rydenhag Bertil , Malmgren Kristina
Published: December 2013

Objective

Analyze the long‐term outcome of callosotomies with regard to seizure types and frequencies and antiepileptic drug treatment.

Methods

This longitudinal observational study is based on data from the prospective Swedish National Epilepsy Surgery Register. Thirty‐one patients had undergone callosotomy in Sweden 1995–2007 and had been followed for 2 and 5 or 10 years after surgery. Data on their seizure types and frequencies, associated impairments, and use of antiepileptic drugs have been analyzed.

Results

The median total number of seizures per patient and month was reduced from 195 before surgery to 110 two years after surgery and 90 at the long‐term follow‐up (5 or 10 years). The corresponding figures for drop attacks (tonic or atonic) were 190 before surgery, 100 2 years after surgery, and 20 at the long‐term follow‐up. Ten (56%) of the 18 patients with drop attacks were free from drop attacks at long‐term follow‐up. Three of the remaining eight patients had a reduction of >75%. At long‐term follow‐up, four were off medication. Only one of the 31 patients had no neurologic impairment.

Significance

The present population‐based, prospective observational study shows that the corpus callosotomy reduces seizure frequency effectively and sustainably over the years. Most improvement was seen in drop attacks. The improvement in seizure frequency over time shown in this study suggests that callosotomy should be considered at an early age in children with intractable epilepsy and traumatizing drop attacks.
High‐resolution molecular genomic autopsy reveals complex sudden unexpected death in epilepsy risk profile
Authors: Klassen Tara L. , Bomben Valerie C. , Patel Ankita , Drabek Janice , Chen Tim T. , Gu Wenli , Zhang Feng , Chapman Kevin , Lupski James R. , Noebels Jeffrey L. , Goldman A.M.
Published: December 2013

Advanced variant detection in genes underlying risk of sudden unexpected death in epilepsy (SUDEP) can uncover extensive epistatic complexity and improve diagnostic accuracy of epilepsy‐related mortality. However, the sensitivity and clinical utility of diagnostic panels based solely on established cardiac arrhythmia genes in the molecular autopsy of SUDEP is unknown. We applied the established clinical diagnostic panels, followed by sequencing and a high density copy number variant (CNV) detection array of an additional 253 related ion channel subunit genes to analyze the overall genomic variation in a SUDEP of the 3‐year‐old proband with severe myoclonic epilepsy of infancy (SMEI). We uncovered complex combinations of single nucleotide polymorphisms and CNVs in genes expressed in both neurocardiac and respiratory control pathways, including SCN1A, KCNA1, RYR3, and HTR2C. Our findings demonstrate the importance of comprehensive high‐resolution variant analysis in the assessment of personally relevant SUDEP risk. In this case, the combination of de novo single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) and CNVs in the SCN1A and KCNA1 genes, respectively, is suspected to be the principal risk factor for both epilepsy and premature death. However, consideration of the overall biologically relevant variant complexity with its extensive functional epistatic interactions reveals potential personal risk more accurately.
Coagulation, oncotic and haemodilutional effects of a third‐generation hydroxyethyl starch (130/0.4) solution in horses
Authors: Viljoen A. , Page P. C. , Fosgate G. T. , Saulez M. N.
Published: December 2013

Reasons for performing study

Clinical indications for hydroxyethyl starches (HES) in horses include rapid plasma volume expansion and oncotic support during periods of hypoproteinaemia. Side effects such as coagulopathies associated withHESadministration pose limitations to their use in veterinary medicine. In man, tetrastarch (130/0.4) has demonstrated less profound effects on coagulation compared with first‐ and second‐generationHES.

Objectives

To evaluate the haemostatic and oncotic effects of tetrastarch (130/0.4) administered at 10, 20 and 40 ml/kg bwt in healthy horses.

Study design

Randomised crossover experiment.

Methods

Tetrastarch (130/0.4) was administered to 6 healthy pony mares at 10, 20 and 40 ml/kg bwt with a 2‐week washout period. Packed cell volume, plasma total solids, colloid osmotic pressure (COP), platelet count and thromboelastography (TEG) were measured at baseline, immediately after infusion (0 h), and 1, 6, 12, 24, 48 and 96 h after tetrastarch infusion.

Results

AllTEGvariables remained within normal reference ranges in all 3 treatment groups. Administration of tetrastarch at 40 ml/kg bwt resulted in a prolongedK‐time (P = 0.049) at 6 h post infusion, and decreased maximum amplitude at 0 (P<0.001), 1 (P = 0.022), 6 (P = 0.006), 24 (P<0.001) and 48 h (P = 0.013) post infusion compared with baseline. Administration of tetrastarch increased meanCOPvalues above baseline in all 3 treatment groups, persisting to 24, 6 and 48 h for the 10, 20 and 40 ml/kg bwt doses, respectively.

Conclusions

Although still within established reference ranges, compared with lower dosages, the administration of 40 ml/kg bwt tetrastarch (130/0.4) is more likely to induce changes in coagulation as measured byTEG. Tetrastarch increasedCOPat all dosages evaluated in healthy horses. Tetrastarch (130/0.4) at 10 and 20 ml/kg bwt has potential as a synthetic colloid for resuscitation and provision of oncotic support in horses.
Comparison of flunixin meglumine and meloxicam for post operative management of horses with strangulating small intestinal lesions
Authors: Naylor R. J. , Taylor A. H. , Knowles E. J. , Wilford S. , Linnenkohl W. , Mair T. S. , Johns I. C.
Published: December 2013

Reasons for performing study

Ex vivo evidence suggests that cyclo‐oxygenase (COX) 2‐preferential inhibitor nonsteroidal anti‐inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), such as meloxicam, have a less detrimental effect on intestinal healing than flunixin meglumine (FM). Whether this translates to a beneficial effect in horses with naturally occurring strangulating small intestinal (SSI) lesions is unknown.

Objectives

To compare the clinical outcome of horses with naturally occurring SSI lesions treated with meloxicam or FM.

Study design

Randomised prospective study.

Methods

Cases presenting to the Royal Veterinary College Equine Referral Hospital and Bell Equine Veterinary Clinic during 2010 and 2011 in which an SSI lesion was identified at exploratory laparotomy were eligible for inclusion. Horses received either 1.1 mg/kg bwt FM or 0.6 mg/kg bwt meloxicam i.v. q. 12 h. Clinical outcomes and clinical and laboratory parameters associated with endotoxaemia were compared between groups.

Results

Sixty cases were enrolled, 32 horses received FM and 28 received meloxicam. There was no difference in signalment, physical examination or surgical factors between groups. The overall survival to discharge was 81%; there was no difference in survival (P = 0.14) or incidence of post operative ileus (P = 0.25) between groups. There was no significant difference between the plasma lipopolysaccharide (LPS) concentrations at 0 h (P = 0.18) or 48 h (P = 0.60); however, there was a significant difference between neutrophil count at 48 h (P<0.05) and at 96 h (P<0.01) with significantly greater cell numbers in horses receiving meloxicam compared with FM. Blinded pain score evaluation showed that more horses receiving meloxicam showed gross signs of pain than those treated with FM (P = 0.04).

Conclusions

Nonsteroidal anti‐inflammatory drug choice did not affect major clinical outcomes in horses with SSI lesions but had some effects on signs of pain. This study provides no evidence to recommend one NSAID treatment above another based on survival or the incidence of ileus; however, evaluation of a larger number of cases is required.
Relationships, Environment, and the Brain: How Emerging Research is Changing What We Know about the Impact of Families on Human Development
Authors: Patterson Jo Ellen , Vakili Susanna
Published: December 2013

Recent research is providing family therapists with new information about the complex interaction between an individual's biological makeup and his/her social and physical environment. Family and social relationships, particularly during sensitive periods early in life, can affect a child's biological foundation. Additionally, stress during the early years can have a lasting effect on an individual's physical and mental health and contribute to the onset of severe mental illness. Community programs have been developed to intervene early with families who have an at‐risk child to prevent or minimize the onset of mental illness including providing partnerships with at‐risk mothers of infants to shape attachment relationships. Programs are also developing individual and family interventions to prevent the onset of psychosis. Practicing family therapists can incorporate emerging neuroscience and early intervention research and leverage the growing base of community programs to enhance the effectiveness and sustainability of mental health outcomes for clients. Additionally, family therapy education programs should broaden student training to incorporate the growing body of information about how family relationships affect individual mental health development.
The emerging physiological roles of the glycerophosphodiesterase family
Authors: Corda Daniela , Mosca Maria G. , Ohshima Noriyasu , Grauso Laura , Yanaka Noriyuki , Mariggiò Stefania
Published: December 2013

The glycerophosphodiester phosphodiesterases are evolutionarily conserved proteins that have been linked to several patho/physiological functions, comprising bacterial pathogenicity and mammalian cell proliferation or differentiation. The bacterial enzymes do not show preferential substrate selectivities among the glycerophosphodiesters, and they are mainly dedicated to glycerophosphodiester hydrolysis, producing glycerophosphate and alcohols as the building blocks that are required for bacterial biosynthetic pathways. In some cases, this enzymatic activity has been demonstrated to contribute to bacterial pathogenicity, such as with Hemophilus influenzae. Mammalian glyerophosphodiesterases have high substrate specificities, even if the number of potential physiological substrates is continuously increasing. Some of these mammalian enzymes have been directly linked to cell differentiation, such as GDE2, which triggers motor neuron differentiation, and GDE3, the enzymatic activity of which is necessary and sufficient to induce osteoblast differentiation. Instead, GDE5 has been shown to inhibit skeletal muscle development independent of its enzymatic activity.
Development of a model to guide decision making in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis multidisciplinary care
Authors: Hogden Anne , Greenfield David , Nugus Peter , Kiernan Matthew C
Published: December 2013

Background

Patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) face numerous decisions for symptom management and quality of life. Models of decision making in chronic disease and cancer care are insufficient for the complex and changing needs of patients with ALS .

Objective

The aim was to examine the question: how can decision making that is both effective and patient‐centred be enacted in ALS multidisciplinary care?

Setting and participants

Fifty‐four respondents (32 health professionals, 14 patients and eight carers) from two specialized ALS multidisciplinary clinics participated in semi‐structured interviews. Interviews were transcribed, coded and analysed thematically.

Results

Comparison of stakeholder perspectives revealed six key themes of ALS decision making. These were the decision‐making process; patient‐centred focus; timing and planning; information sources; engagement with specialized ALS services; and access to non‐specialized services. A model, embedded in the specialized ALS multidisciplinary clinic, was derived to guide patient decision making. The model is cyclic, with four stages: ‘Participant Engagement’; ‘Option Information’; ‘Option Deliberation’; and ‘Decision Implementation’.

Discussion

Effective and patient‐centred decision making is enhanced by the structure of the specialized ALS clinic, which promotes patients' symptom management and quality of life goals. However, patient and carer engagement in ALS decision making is tested by the dynamic nature of ALS, and patient and family distress. Our model optimizes patient‐centred decision making, by incorporating patients' cyclic decision‐making patterns and facilitating carer inclusion in decision processes.

Conclusions

The model captures the complexities of patient‐centred decision making in ALS. The framework can assist patients and carers, health professionals, researchers and policymakers in this challenging disease environment.