bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Ecological and genetic factors linked to contrasting genome dynamics in seed plants
Authors: Leitch A. R. , Leitch I. J.
Published: March 2012

The large‐scale replacement of gymnosperms by angiosperms in many ecological niches over time and the huge disparity in species numbers have led scientists to explore factors (e.g. polyploidy, developmental systems, floral evolution) that may have contributed to the astonishing rise of angiosperm diversity. Here, we explore genomic and ecological factors influencing seed plant genomes. This is timely given the recent surge in genomic data. We compare and contrast the genomic structure and evolution of angiosperms and gymnosperms and find that angiosperm genomes are more dynamic and diverse, particularly amongst the herbaceous species. Gymnosperms typically have reduced frequencies of a number of processes (e.g. polyploidy) that have shaped the genomes of other vascular plants and have alternative mechanisms to suppress genome dynamism (e.g. epigenetics and activity of transposable elements). Furthermore, the presence of several characters in angiosperms (e.g. herbaceous habit, short minimum generation time) has enabled them to exploit new niches and to be viable with small population sizes, where the power of genetic drift can outweigh that of selection. Together these processes have led to increased rates of genetic divergence and faster fixation times of variation in many angiosperms compared with gymnosperms.

Contents

Summary
629

I.
Introduction – overview
629

II.
Genome structures
631

III.
Factors that have shaped the genomes of angiosperms and gymnosperms
640

IV.
The future of genomic studies in seed plants
643

Acknowledgements
643

References
643
Technology for people, not disabilities: ensuring access and inclusion
Authors: Foley Alan , Ferri Beth A.
Published: March 2012

The potential of technology to connect people and provide access to education, commerce, employment and entertainment has never been greater or more rapidly changing. Communication technologies and new media promise to ‘revolutionize our lives’ by breaking down barriers and expanding access for disabled people. Yet, it is also true that technology can create unexpected and under‐critiqued forms of social exclusion for disabled people. In addition to exploring some of the ways that even (or especially) assistive technology can result in new forms of social exclusion, we also propose alternative ways of thinking about inclusive and accessible (as opposed to assistive) technology and provide some very practical ways that accessible technologies would promote greater access and flexibility for disabled students and adults. We contend that technology should be conceived of as a global, accessible and inclusive concept, not one that requires a qualifier based on who it is for.
Examining changes in substance use and conduct problems among treatment‐seeking adolescents
Authors: Lewis Sarah F.
Published: March 2012

Background

Outdoor behavioral healthcare (OBH) treatment offers an alternative to parents of youth who are treatment‐resistant or avoidant.

Method

The current study evaluated OBH therapeutic outcomes. The sample was 190 adolescents (Mage = 15.69) presenting for treatment between 2006 and 2008. To be eligible, participants had to be between the ages of 13 and 17 years and be admitted to one of the three OBH programs for mental health intervention. Primary study hypotheses were that OBH treatment would be associated with a reduction in psychiatric symptomatology from baseline to post‐treatment and second, that the OBH intervention would be associated with the maintenance of the hypothesized treatment gains.

Results and Conclusions

Findings were consistent with hypotheses, suggesting that youth demonstrated significant symptomatic reductions and maintained these improvements over a 12‐month follow‐up period.
Oxidative stress rather than triglyceride accumulation is a determinant of mitochondrial dysfunction in in vitro models of hepatic cellular steatosis
Authors: Lockman Khalida A. , Baren James P. , Pemberton Christopher J. , Baghdadi Hussam , Burgess Karl E. , Plevris‐Papaioannou Nikolas , Lee Patricia , Howie Forbes , Beckett Geoff , Pryde Anne , Jaap Alan J. , Hayes Peter C. , Filippi Celine , Plevris John N.
Published: March 2012

Background/Aims

There is still debate about the relationship between fat accumulation and mitochondrial function in nonalcoholic fatty liver disease. It is a critical question as only a small proportion of individuals with steatosis progress to steatohepatitis. In this study, we focused on defining (i) the effects of triglyceride accumulation and reactive oxygen species (ROS) on mitochondrial function (ii) the contributions of triglyceride, ROS and subsequent mitochondrial impairment on the metabolism of energy substrates.

Methods

Human hepatoblastoma C3A cells, were treated with various combinations of oleate, octanoate, lactate (L), pyruvate (P) and ammonia (N) acutely or for 72 h, before measurements of triglyceride concentration, cell respiration, ROS production, mitochondrial membrane potential, ketogenesis and gluconeogenesis, TCA cycle metabolite analysis and electron microscopy.

Results

Acutely, LPON treatment enhanced mitochondrial respiration and ROS formation. After 72 h, despite the similarities in triglyceride accumulation, LPON treatment, but not oleate, dramatically affected mitochondrial function as evidenced by decreased respiration, increased mitochondrial membrane potential and ROS formation with concomitant enhanced ketogenesis. By comparison, respiration and ROS formation remained unperturbed with oleate. Importantly, this was accompanied by an increased gluconeogenesis and ketogenesis. The addition of the antioxidant N‐acetyl‐L‐cysteine prevented mitochondrial dysfunction and reversed metabolic changes seen with LPON, strongly suggesting ROS involvement in mediating mitochondrial impairment.

Conclusions

Our data indicate that ROS formation, rather than cellular steatosis per se, impairs mitochondrial function. Thus, reduction in cellular steatosis may not always be the desired outcome without concomitant improvement in mitochondrial function and/or reducing of ROS formation.
Fragmented CagA Protein is Highly Immunoreactive in Japanese Patients
Authors: Yamada Kazuki , Sugiyama Toshiro , Mihara Hiroshi , Kajiura Shinya , Saito Seiko , Itaya Yuko , Yamawaki Hidemoto , Ando Takayuki , Kudo Takahiko , Hosokawa Ayumu , Okuda Masumi , Fukunaga Kenichi , Akada Junko K , Nakazawa Teruko
Published: March 2012

Background:  High‐molecular‐weight cell‐associated proteins (HM‐CAP) assay is the most popular serological immunoassay worldwide and has been developed from US isolates as the antigens. The accuracy is reduced when the sera are from adults and children in East Asia including Japan. To overcome the reduced accuracy, an enzyme immunoassay using Japanese strain–derived HM‐CAP (JHM‐CAP) was developed, in which the antigens were prepared by exactly the same procedure as HM‐CAP. The performance of JHM‐CAP was better than that of HM‐CAP in Japanese adults as well as in children. The higher sensitivity was because of the presence of 100‐kDa protein that was absent in the preparation of HM‐CAP antigen.

Materials and Methods:  Immunoblot analysis and peptide mass fingerprinting methods were used to identify the distinctive 100‐kDa protein present in JHM‐CAP antigens. The peptide sequence and identification were analyzed by Mascot Search on the database of Helicobacter pylori. The identified protein was confirmed by immunoblot with a specific antibody and inhibition assay by the sera.

Results:  The distinctive 100‐kDa protein was a fragment of CagA derived from Japanese clinical isolates, and the sera of Japanese patients had strongly reacted to the protein, probably to the exposed epitope on the fragmented CagA. The fragmentation of CagA had occurred in the process of antigen preparation in Japanese isolates, not in US isolates even under the same preparation.

Conclusion:  The distinctive 100‐kDa protein was a fragment of CagA protein of H. pylori derived from Japanese clinical isolates, and Japanese patients including children are likely to react strongly to the exposed epitopes on fragmented CagA.
Randomized Comparison of Two Non‐Bismuth‐Containing Second‐line Rescue Therapies for Helicobacter pylori
Authors: Chuah Seng‐Kee , Hsu Ping‐I , Chang Kuo‐Chin , Chiu Yi‐Chun , Wu Keng‐Liang , Chou Yeh‐Pin , Hu Ming‐Luen , Tai Wei‐Chen , Chiu King‐Wah , Chiou Shue‐Shian , Wu Deng‐Chyang , Hu Tsung‐Hui
Published: March 2012

Background:  Classical second‐line anti‐Helicobacter pylori includes proton‐pump inhibitor, tetracycline, metronidazole, and bismuth salts, but alternative therapies are required owing to the restricted availability of the latter. Levofloxacin‐containing triple therapy is recommended but is expensive. Besides, quinolone resistance in an endemic tuberculosis infection area like Taiwan is concerned. The low in vitro antibiotic resistance to amoxicillin and tetracycline in Taiwanese H. pylori strains implies that in vivo esomeprazole/amoxicillin/tetracycline (EAT) second‐line rescue therapy may be effective. This study compared the efficacy of esomeprazole/amoxicillin/levofloxacin (EAL) and EAT second‐line eradication therapies and determines the clinical factors influencing the efficacy of salvage regimens.

Materials and methods:  One hundred and twenty‐eight patients who failed H. pylori eradication using the standard triple therapy for 7 days are randomly assigned to either EAL group (esomeprazole 40 mg twice daily, amoxicillin 1 g twice daily, and levofloxacin 500 mg once daily) for 7 days or EAT group (esomeprazole 40 mg twice daily, amoxicillin 1 g twice daily, tetracycline 500 mg four times daily) for 14 days. Follow‐up endoscopy or urea breath test was performed 8 weeks later to assess treatment response.

Results:  The eradication rates of EAL and EAT groups were 78.1 versus 75.0%, p = .676 (in intention‐to‐treat analysis) and 80.3 versus 80%, p = .0964 (per‐protocol analysis). Both groups exhibited similar drug compliance (95.3 vs 96.9%, p = .952) but more adverse events in the EAT group (6.3 vs 12.5%, p = .225).

Conclusions:  Despite low in vitro drug resistances to amoxicillin and tetracycline, the efficacy of 14‐day EAT regimens attained an unacceptable report card of 75% eradication rates in intention‐to‐treat analysis and was not even superior to the 7‐day EAL regimen. Drug–drug interaction between combined antibiotics should be considered other than in vivo drug resistances.
Beyond Dialysis: Current and Emerging Blood Purification Techniques
Authors: Stegmayr Bernd , Ramlow Wolfgang , Balogun Rasheed A.
Published: March 2012

Extracorporeal blood purification using various techniques and hardware is a major part of the modern day practice of clinical nephrology. Although the various modalities of hemodialysis and hemofiltration are the most commonly used extracorporeal therapies in clinical nephrology, blood purification using other techniques have become necessary to remove pathogenic, toxic, or waste substances not easily cleared by hemodialysis or hemofiltration due to factors such as molecular size, protein binding, and lipid solubility. The following review is an up to date summary of extracorporeal therapies, beyond hemodialysis and hemofiltration, in current clinical use as practiced by nephrologists and others in the United States and beyond. This comprises therapeutic apheresis (plasma exchange and cytapheresis), plasma adsorption, hemoperfusion, and the bio‐artificial devices.
Mediation of Late Adolescent Health‐Risk Behaviors and Gender Influences
Authors: Christopherson Toni Michelle , Conner Bradley T.
Published: March 2012

Objective

This study explored how multiple bioecological constructs operate to explain health‐risk behaviors in late adolescence and to test for moderator effects of gender.

Design and Sample

This was a descriptive, cross‐sectional study with a convenience sample of 437 predominately Caucasian late adolescents with an average age of 19 years who lived in Northern California.

Measures

Parental Attachment, Shyness, Loneliness, Law Abidance, and Youth Risk Behaviors were measured with self‐report tools and analyzed using structural equation modeling.

Results

Confirmatory factor analysis indicated that the data fit the model well. Analysis of group differences revealed that gender moderated the relationships among the measured variables; thus, data were analyzed in independent gender‐based models. Structural modeling demonstrated good model fit for each gender. Shyness and parental attachment each were associated with loneliness. Loneliness was associated with smoking. Loneliness linked the relationship between shyness, parental attachment, and smoking. Parental attachment was associated with law abidance. Law abidance was associated with sexual behaviors for female adolescents only.

Conclusions

This study provides valuable insights for public health nurses as it pertains to late adolescent health‐risk behaviors. Nurses should use screening tools and techniques to ensure appropriate referrals and interventions to meet the needs of at‐risk adolescents.
Subproblem Decomposition: An Exploratory Research Method for Effective Incremental New Product Development
Authors: Ruiz Dirk , Jain Dipak , Grayson Kent
Published: March 2012

Consumers frequently face problems when using a product or service. Successful incremental product development depends on accurately identifying these problems. Exploratory methods that are commonly used to identify such problems tend to present consumers with stimuli (i.e., questions) that prompt a particular kind of psychological processing. Subproblem decomposition, a new exploratory method, uses stimuli that prompt a different kind of psychological processing. Consumers are asked to think out loud while performing product‐related tasks, and their spoken thoughts are used to identify the “subproblems” faced during product use. Subproblem decomposition, therefore, generates different insights, which complement the perspective gained by more conventional exploratory methods.
Flawed Tools: The Efficacy of Group Research Methods to Generate Customer Ideas
Authors: Schirr Gary R.
Published: March 2012

Group customer and user research methods, brainstorming, and focus groups continue to be used in innovation efforts to uncover customer needs, generate new product and service ideas, and evaluate decisions, despite extensive empirical evidence that group methods are ineffective for such purposes. This paper summarizes the strong evidence of the ineffectiveness of group research methods for these purposes, much of which has been published outside of the new product development or business literature. The paper shows that the most common rationalization for the continued use of group methods—cost and speed advantages—are questionable, and then proposes an organizational market learning framework for evaluating the use of group methods. This framework provides guidance for the proper use of these research tools and suggests areas for future research on research methods for product innovation.
Interactive Job Shop Scheduling: An Experiment
Authors: Schartner Andreas , Pruett James M.
Published: March 2012

An experiment is discussed in which three computer‐aided, interactive job shop scheduling approaches are compared using an interactive job shop scheduling simulator (JOB) developed for the project. All three approaches use a combination of computer and human capabilities to develop job shop schedules, but differ in terms of the timing and degree of human involvement required.

The three scheduling approaches are (1) the successive approach, (2) the interactive approach, and (3) the semi‐interactive approach. The successive approach is characterized by the computer scheduling all work orders without any human intervention. The interactive approach is distinguished by the human scheduling one work order at a time until all work orders are scheduled. The schedule is developed interactively by the person who must simultaneously consider work‐order scheduling needs and machine group load capacities. The semi‐interactive approach may be viewed as a combination of the successive and interactive approaches. Work orders are automatically scheduled one at a time using the successive approach criteria, but with prespecified machine‐group load thresholds. As long as the load threshold is not exceeded, the successive approach is used to schedule work orders. When a threshold is exceeded, the algorithm (successive approach) pauses and human rescheduling (interactive approach) is required to rectify the overload situation. A second (reallocation) phase, identical for all three approaches, is used to overcome any scheduling problems generated in phase one.

Experimental results based on nine different performance criteria (including scheduling time, makespan, machine group utilization, and work‐in‐process inventory) and 45 experimental runs indicate that there are differences between the results produced by the three scheduling approaches. The interactive approach yields the best overall scheduling results, but the other two approaches are clearly better than the interactive approach in some situations. The success of the interactive approach indicates that it is usually best for the human scheduler to become involved early in the computer‐based job shop scheduling process.
Refining Two‐Group Multivariable Classification Models Using Univariate Optimal Discriminant Analysis*
Authors: Yarnold Paul R. , Soltysik Robert C.
Published: March 2012

Fisher's discriminant analysis (FDA) is often used to obtain a prediction model for dichotomous classifications on the basis of two or more independent variables. FDA provides an equation whereby values on independent variables are combined into a single predicted value (Y*) that is compared against a cutpoint and direction in order to make classifications. Theoretically, univariate optimal discriminant analysis employed on these Y* will maximize training classification accuracy. This methodology is illustrated using three examples.
Test‐Retest Reliability of User Information Satisfaction: A Comment on Galletta and Lederer's Paper
Authors: Hawk Stephen R. , Raju Nambury S.
Published: March 2012

Galletta and Lederer [10] concluded that the short‐form measure of user information satisfaction (UIS) lacks sufficient test‐retest reliability. We question the validity of this conclusion since the method used by the authors for assessing test‐retest reliability is not grounded in classical reliability theory. Analysis of their data suggests that the UIS instrument has adequate test‐retest reliability.
Digital stereology in neuropathology
Authors: Kristiansen Sarah Line Brøgger , Nyengaard Jens Randel
Published: March 2012

Two‐dimensional quantitative methods have frequently been used to address questions in neuropathological research; however, they face important limitations which design‐based stereology may overcome by offering a set of methods to quantify two‐dimensional histological sections into three‐dimensional structural knowledge. Accordingly, stereology is a science based on statistical sampling principles and geometric measures. The application of stereology to neuropathological studies allows the researcher to efficiently obtain a precise estimate of various structural quantities. This neuropathological review will therefore present the relevant stereological estimators for obtaining reliable quantitative structural data from brains and peripheral nerves when using digital light microscopy. It is discussed how to obtain brain and nerve fibre samples to fulfil the requirements for the estimators. A presentation of design‐based stereological probes for obtaining global volume, total number, local volume, total length, total surface area, cross‐sectional area and diameter will be followed by discussion of the error variances of the methods. No mathematical equations or calculations are shown in this review.
Morphological variability of Atlantic salmon Salmo salar and brown trout Salmo trutta in different river environments
Authors: Drinan Thomas J. , McGinnity Phil , Coughlan Jamie P. , Cross Tom F. , Harrison Simon S.C.
Published: March 2012

Abstract –  The morphologies of sympatric juvenile Atlantic salmon Salmo salar parr and brown trout Salmo trutta parr were compared between Irish rivers with contrasting hydraulic environments – a high‐gradient and a low‐gradient tributary from the River Barrow catchment, south‐east Ireland and a high‐gradient river from the Burrishoole catchment, west of Ireland. The two catchments differ markedly in mean annual precipitation (849.0 mm year−1 and 1370.3 mm year−1 for the Barrow and Burrishoole catchments, respectively). Parr of both species demonstrated morphological variation between and within catchments. Changes in metrics such as pectoral fin length, body depth and body length between and within catchments suggest that hydraulic forces were a major determinant of morphological variation. Both species from the Burrishoole catchment had relatively larger pectoral fins, longer heads, larger eyes and shallower bodies than conspecifics from the Barrow catchment. In rivers subject to frequent rainfall‐driven high discharges, such as those in the Burrishoole catchment, a more fusiform body and head shape coupled with larger pectoral fins may reduce the energetic cost of maintaining position in the water column, as well as increase stability and manoeuvrability. The larger eyes in both parr species in the Burrishoole catchment could further be a response to the lower visibility of the more turbid and peat‐stained waters or to the reduced prey availability. The results of this study demonstrate that local adaptation to flow conditions can yield morphologically distinct populations and that multiple species can exhibit parallel phenotypic responses to changing environmental conditions.
Influence of forest cover and mesohabitat types on functional and taxonomic diversity of fish communities in Neotropical lowland streams
Authors: Teresa Fabrício B. , Casatti Lilian
Published: March 2012

Abstract –  In this study, we investigated how taxonomic and functional diversity of fish communities is influenced by forest cover and mesohabitat types in Neotropical lowland streams. We sampled fish fauna of 126 five‐metre‐long mesohabitats using an electrofishing unit in forested (n = 3) and deforested (n = 3) streams in the upper Paraná River basin, south‐eastern Brazil. According to velocity and depth, three mesohabitat types have been considered: riffles (shallow and fast‐flowing habitat), pools (deep and slow‐flowing habitat) and runs (intermediate depth and velocity). Seven functional traits and 27 trait categories related to ecological, behavioural and life‐history aspects of fish were considered. Our results indicate that forest cover and mesohabitat type influence fish communities in different ways. Whereas deforestation affects communities primarily through changes in diversity (functional and taxonomic), mesohabitat types determine changes in the functional composition. The increased diversity in deforested mesohabitats is driven by a decrease in species turnover among habitat patches within streams. This can be attributed to new feeding opportunities and microhabitat availabilities in deforested streams so favours the occurrence of species having a particular set of traits, indicating a strong habitat–trait relationship.
The non‐human primate model of tuberculosis
Authors: Kaushal D. , Mehra S. , Didier P.J. , Lackner A.A.
Published: March 2012

Non‐human primates (NHPs) are used to model human disease owing to their remarkably similar genomes, physiology, and immune systems. Recently, there has been an increased interest in modeling tuberculosis (TB) in NHPs. Macaques are susceptible to infection with different strains of Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb), producing the full spectrum of disease conditions, including latent infection, chronic progressive infection, and acute TB, depending on the route and dose of infection. Clearly, NHPs are an excellent model of human TB. While the initial aim of the NHP model was to allow preclinical testing of candidate vaccines and drugs, it is now also being used to study pathogenesis and immune correlates of protection. Recent advances in this field are discussed in this review. Key questions such as the effect of hypoxia on the biology of Mtb and the basis of reactivation of latent TB can now be investigated through the use of this model.
Corticospinal adaptations and strength maintenance in the immobilized arm following 3 weeks unilateral strength training
Authors: Pearce A. J. , Hendy A. , Bowen W. A. , Kidgell D. J.
Published: March 2012

Cross‐education strength training has being shown to retain strength and muscle thickness in the immobilized contralateral limb. Corticospinal mechanisms have been proposed to underpin this phenomenon; however, no transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) data has yet been presented. This study used TMS to measure corticospinal responses following 3 weeks of unilateral arm training on the contralateral, immobilize arm. Participants (n = 28) were randomly divided into either immobilized strength training (Immob + train) immobilized no training (Immob) or control. Participants in the immobilized groups had their nondominant arm rested in a sling, 15 h/day for 3 weeks. The Immob + train group completed unilateral arm curl strength training, while the Immob and control groups did not undertake training. All participants were tested for corticospinal excitability, strength, and muscle thickness of both arms. Immobilization resulted in a group x time significant reduction in strength, muscle thickness and corticospinal excitability for the untrained limb of the Immob group. Conversely, no significant change in strength, muscle thickness, or corticospinal excitability occurred in the untrained limb of the Immob + train group. These results provide the first evidence of corticospinal mechanisms, assessed by TMS, underpinning the use of unilateral strength training to retain strength and muscle thickness following immobilization of the contralateral limb.
Mechanisms promoting tree species co‐existence: Experimental evidence with saplings of subtropical forest ecosystems of China
Authors: Lang Anne C. , Härdtle Werner , Baruffol Martin , Böhnke Martin , Bruelheide Helge , Schmid Bernhard , von Wehrden Henrik , von Oheimb Goddert
Published: March 2012

Questions

The maintenance of a diverse sapling pool is of particular importance for the regeneration and persistance of species‐rich forest ecosystems. However, the mechanisms of co‐existence of saplings have rarely been studied experimentally. Do species richness, species composition, species identity and stand density affect the co‐existence, growth patterns and crown architecture of tree saplings?

Location

Jiangxi Province, southeast China.

Methods

In a field experiment, we manipulated the local neighbourhood of saplings of four early‐successional subtropical species (Schima superba,Elaeocarpus decipiens,Quercus serrataandCastanea henryi) with regard to species richness (one, two and four species), species composition (monocultures, six‐two‐species combinations and one‐four‐species combination) and stand density (low, intermediate and high). We tested for treatment effects and impact of species identity on growth variables, biomass allocation, crown architectural traits and branch demography.

Results

Species richness was a poor predictor of all response variables, but enhanced pruning and branch turnover. In contrast, species composition proved to be of great importance for growth, biomass allocation, crown architecture and branch demography. Local neighbourhood interactions of saplings were characterized by complementary or facilitative, as well as by competitive mechanisms. Intra‐specific competition was higher than inter‐specific competition for two species (C. henryi,Q. serrata) depending on the respective species combination. To a high degree, the competitive ability of species can be explained by species identity. Competition for light likely played a major role in our experiment, as evidenced by the strong response of crown architecture and branch demography to the manipulated predictor variables.

Conclusions

Effects of species composition and species identity on growth rates and crown architecture variables of tree saplings point to niche separation as a mechanism of species co‐existence, while effects of species richness were not yet prominent at the sapling life stage.
A cross‐sectional analysis of the prevalence of dental anxiety and its relation to the oral health‐related quality of life in patients with dental treatment needs at a university clinic in Switzerland
Authors: Gisler Vanessa , Bassetti Renzo , Mericske‐Stern Regina , Bayer Stefan , Enkling Norbert
Published: March 2012

doi: 10.1111/j.1741‐2358.2011.00465.x

A cross‐sectional analysis of the prevalence of dental anxiety and its relation to the oral health‐related quality of life in patients with dental treatment needs at a university clinic in Switzerland

Objectives:  The aim of this observational, cross‐sectional study was to analyse the relationship between dental anxiety (DA) and health‐related quality of life aspects associated with oral conditions of a population with dental treatment needs in Switzerland.

Methods:  The measurements of DA were collected by means of two questionnaires, the Dental Anxiety Scale (DAS) and a Visual Analogue Scale (VAS). Oral health‐related quality of life (OHRQoL) was assessed with the Oral Health Impact Profile (OHIP). The sample included 223 patients enrolled at a university clinic which specialises in oral prosthetic rehabilitation and temporomandibular disorders. Of them, 78.9% were at or above the age of 50.

Results:  No gender or age dependencies were observed. A comparison of answers regarding OHRQoL and DA revealed a significant interdependence (p = 0.0118); highly anxious patients were 3.55 times more likely to suffer from poor quality of life compared with less anxious ones.

Conclusion:  This cross‐sectional study of mostly elderly patients seeking dental treatment in Switzerland found that increased DA was associated with an impaired OHRQoL. The average DA was slightly higher than the results of other industrialised countries and the average OHRQoL was reduced.
Role of Collective Management Organizations for Protection of Performers' Right in Music Industry: In the Era of Digitalization
Authors: Panda Aurobinda , Patel Atul
Published: March 2012

Collective Management Organizations (CMOs) (i.e. organizations that specialize in administering “copyrights held by a large number of owners”) play a fundamental role in the copyright system. It is not appropriate to separate copyright and performer's right for the purpose of having a separate legal regime for the protection of rights of the performers to be more specific in the music industry. In this paper Part I is concerned with the history and development of CMOs and the internal efficiency of collecting societies in the field of music. Part II deals with International developments in this area of intellectual property. It has gained so much trade interest that both WIPO and WTO stand together on the issues of protection and have compelled the member‐countries to bring their domestic laws into conformity with an international commitment that facilitates trade. In Part III of this paper, an attempt has been made by the authors to highlight and identify the protection regime, loopholes and remedies in the Indian scenario for the performer's rights under the Copyright Act, 1957. Finally, in Part IV the authors believe that the international community should come up with a collective rights organization which could bring uniformity, fairness, and efficiency to the process of transferring digital media in the era of digitalization.
Effect of Imidafenacin before Sleeping on Nocturia
Authors: KADEKAWA Katsumi , ONAGA Tomohiro , SHIMABUKURO Shuichi , SHIMABUKURO Hiroichi , SAKUMOTO Misao , ASHITOMI Katsuhiro , NISHIJIMA Saori , SUGAYA Kimio
Published: March 2012

Objectives: Clinical efficacy, influence on quality of life (QOL), and safety of imidafenacin before sleeping were assessed in patients with overactive bladder (OAB) who suffered from nocturia.

Methods: A total of 60 OAB patients with a mean age of 74 years (45 men and 15 women) who mainly complained of nocturia were enrolled. Imidafenacin (0.1 mg) was administered once daily before sleeping for four weeks. Then the patients were divided into two groups, “a stable‐dose group” with sufficient efficacy who remained on 0.1 mg of imidafenacin daily, and “a dose‐escalation group” with insufficient efficacy in whom the daily dose of imidafenacin was increased to 0.2 mg before sleeping. Lower urinary tract symptoms and postvoid residual volume (PVR) were examined before treatment and after 4 and 8 weeks of imidafenacin therapy.

Results: In the stable‐dose group, nighttime frequency decreased significantly from 3.4 ± 1.1 to 2.3 ± 1.1 and 2.6 ± 2.0 times after four and eight weeks, respectively. In the dose‐escalation group, nighttime frequency did not change significantly (from 3.8 ± 1.5 to 3.6 ± 1.8 times) at four weeks, but decreased significantly to 2.8 ± 1.4 times at eight weeks. Daytime frequency, OAB symptom score, and IPSS‐QOL index score were significantly improved in both groups at four and/or eight weeks. There was no increase of PVR and no serious adverse events.

Conclusion: Administration of imidafenacin at 0.1–0.2 mg once daily before sleeping was safe and effective for the treatment of OAB with the main symptom of nocturia.
Use of A Public Telephone Hotline to Detect Urban Plague Cases
Authors: Malberg J. A. , Pape W. J. , Lezotte D. , Hill A. E.
Published: March 2012

Current methods for vector‐borne disease surveillance are limited by time and cost. To avoid human infections from emerging zoonotic diseases, it is important that the United States develop cost‐effective surveillance systems for these diseases. This study examines the methodology used in the surveillance of a plague epizootic involving tree squirrels (Sciurus niger) in Denver Colorado, during the summer of 2007. A call‐in centre for the public to report dead squirrels was used to direct animal carcass sampling. Staff used these reports to collect squirrel carcasses for the analysis of Yersinia pestis infection. This sampling protocol was analysed at the census tract level using Poisson regression to determine the relationship between higher call volumes in a census tract and the risk of a carcass in that tract testing positive for plague. Over‐sampling owing to call volume‐directed collection was accounted for by including the number of animals collected as the denominator in the model. The risk of finding an additional plague‐positive animal increased as the call volume per census tract increased. The risk in the census tracts with >3 calls a month was significantly higher than that with three or less calls in a month. For tracts with 4–5 calls, the relative risk (RR) of an additional plague‐positive carcass was 10.08 (95% CI 5.46–18.61); for tracts with 6–8 calls, the RR = 5.20 (2.93–9.20); for tracts with 9–11 calls, the RR = 12.80 (5.85–28.03) and tracts with >11 calls had RR = 35.41 (18.60–67.40). Overall, the call‐in centre directed sampling increased the probability of locating plague‐infected carcasses in the known Denver epizootic. Further studies are needed to determine the effectiveness of this methodology at monitoring large‐scale zoonotic disease occurrence in the absence of a recognized epizootic.
The L2 restriction norm of a GL3 Maass form
Authors: Li Xiaoqing , Young Matthew P.
Published: March 2012

We prove a sharp upper bound on the L2 norm of a GL3 Maass form restricted to GL2×ℝ+.
Voltage‐gated potassium channels and the diversity of electrical signalling
Authors: Jan Lily Yeh , Jan Yuh Nung
Published: March 2012

Abstract  Since Hodgkin and Huxley discovered the potassium current that underlies the falling phase of action potentials in the squid giant axon, the diversity of voltage‐gated potassium (Kv) channels has been manifested in multiple ways. The large and extended potassium channel family is evolutionarily conserved molecularly and functionally. Alternative splicing and RNA editing of Kv channel genes diversify the channel property and expression level. The mix‐and‐match of subunits in a Kv channel that contains four similar or identical pore‐forming subunits and additional auxiliary subunits further diversify Kv channels. Moreover, targeting of different Kv channels to specific subcellular compartments and local translation of Kv channel mRNA in neuronal processes diversify axonal and dendritic action potentials and influence how synaptic plasticity may be modulated. As one indication of the evolutionary conservation of Kv1 channel functions, mutations of the Shaker potassium channel gene in Drosophila and the KCNA1 gene for its mammalian orthologue, Kv1.1, cause hyperexcitability near axon branch points and nerve terminals, thereby leading to uncontrolled movements and recapitulating the episodic ataxia‐1 (EA1) symptoms in human patients.
Inadequate Efficacy of a New Formulation of Fosmidomycin-Clindamycin Combination in Mozambican Children Less than Three Years Old with Uncomplicated Plasmodium falciparum Malaria
Authors: Lanaspa Miguel , Moraleda Cinta , Machevo Sónia , González Raquel , Serrano Beatriz , Macete Eusebio , Cisteró Pau , Mayor Alfredo , Hutchinson David , Kremsner Peter G. , Alonso Pedro , Menéndez Clara , Bassat Quique
Published: March 2012

The combination of fosmidomycin and clindamycin (F/C) is effective in adults and older children for the treatment of malaria and could be an important alternative to existing artemisinin-based combinations (ACTs) if proven to work in younger children. We conducted an open-label clinical trial to assess the efficacy, safety, and tolerability of F/C for the treatment of uncomplicated
P. falciparum
malaria in Mozambican children <3 years of age. Aqueous solutions of the drugs were given for 3 days, and the children were followed up for 28 days. The primary outcome was the PCR-corrected adequate clinical and parasitological response at day 28. Secondary outcomes included day 7 and 28 uncorrected cure rates and fever (FCT) and parasite (PCT) clearance times. Fifty-two children were recruited, but only 37 patients were evaluable for the primary outcome. Day 7 cure rates were high (94.6%; 35/37), but the day 28 PCR-corrected cure rate was 45.9% (17/37). The FCT was short (median, 12 h), but the PCT was longer (median, 72 h) than in previous studies. Tolerability was good, and most common adverse events were related to the recurrence of malaria. The poor efficacy observed for the F/C combination may be a consequence of the new formulations used, differential bioavailability in younger children, naturally occurring variations in parasite sensitivity to the drugs, or an insufficient enhancement of their effects by naturally acquired immunity in young children. Additional studies should be conducted to respond to the many uncertainties arising from this trial, which should not discourage further evaluation of this promising combination.
In Vitro
Antimalarial Activity and Drug Interactions of Fenofibric Acid
Authors: Wong Rina P. M. , Davis Timothy M. E.
Published: March 2012

Plasmodium falciparum
has developed resistance to most available treatments, underscoring the need for novel antimalarial drugs. Fibrates are lipid-modifying agents used to reduce morbidity and mortality associated with cardiovascular disease. They may have antimalarial activity through modulation of P-glycoprotein and ATP-binding cassette subfamily A member (ABC-1)-mediated nutrient transport and/or via a putative peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor alpha-like protein. We therefore examined
in vitro
antimalarial activities of fibrates and their interactions with chloroquine and dihydroartemisinin in chloroquine-sensitive (3D7) and chloroquine-resistant (W2mef) strains of
P. falciparum
using the conventional isotopic assay microtechnique. A bioassay was used to assess inhibition activities of human plasma after therapeutic fenofibrate doses. Fenofibric acid, the main metabolite of fenofibrate, was the most potent of the fibrates tested, with mean 50% inhibitory concentrations of 152 nM and 1,120 nM for chloroquine-sensitive and -resistant strains, respectively. No synergistic interaction between fibrates and chloroquine or dihydroartemisinin was observed. Plasma fenofibric acid concentrations, quantified by high-performance liquid chromatography in seven healthy volunteers after treatment (mean, 15.3 mg/liter, or 48 μM), inhibited
P. falciparum
. BLAST analysis revealed the likely presence of an ABC-1 transporter homolog in
P. falciparum
. Our findings demonstrate that fenofibric acid has activity similar to the activities of conventional antimalarial drugs at concentrations well below those achieved after therapeutic doses. It may inhibit
P. falciparum
growth by inhibiting intracellular lipid transport.
Integrated Population Pharmacokinetic Analysis of Voriconazole in Children, Adolescents, and Adults
Authors: Friberg Lena E. , Ravva Patanjali , Karlsson Mats O. , Liu Ping
Published: March 2012

To further optimize the voriconazole dosing in the pediatric population, a population pharmacokinetic analysis was conducted on pooled data from 112 immunocompromised children (2 to <12 years), 26 immunocompromised adolescents (12 to <17 years), and 35 healthy adults. Different maintenance doses (i.e., 3, 4, 6, 7, and 8 mg/kg of body weight intravenously [i.v.] every 12 h [q12h]; 4 mg/kg, 6 mg/kg, and 200 mg orally q12h) were evaluated in these children. The adult dosing regimens (6 mg/kg i.v. q12h on day 1, followed by 4 mg/kg i.v. q12h, and 300 mg orally q12h) were evaluated in the adolescents. A two-compartment model with first-order absorption and mixed linear and nonlinear (Michaelis-Menten) elimination adequately described the voriconazole data. Larger interindividual variability was observed in pediatric subjects than in adults. Deterministic simulations based on individual parameter estimates from the final model revealed the following. The predicted total exposure (area under the concentration-time curve from 0 to 12 h [AUC
0-12
]) in children following a 9-mg/kg i.v. loading dose was comparable to that in adults following a 6-mg/kg i.v. loading dose. The predicted AUC
0-12
s in children following 4 and 8 mg/kg i.v. q12h were comparable to those in adults following 3 and 4 mg/kg i.v. q12h, respectively. The predicted AUC
0-12
in children following 9 mg/kg (maximum, 350 mg) orally q12h was comparable to that in adults following 200 mg orally q12h. To achieve voriconazole exposures comparable to those of adults, dosing in 12- to 14-year-old adolescents depends on their weight: they should be dosed like children if their weight is <50 kg and dosed like adults if their weight is ≥50 kg. Other adolescents should be dosed like adults.
Pharmacokinetics and Pulmonary Disposition of Tedizolid and Linezolid in a Murine Pneumonia Model under Variable Conditions
Authors: Keel Rebecca A. , Crandon Jared L. , Nicolau David P.
Published: March 2012

In vivo
pharmacokinetics are often evaluated in only one variation of an infection model, and the resulting exposures are assumed to be similar in each model. We evaluated and compared the effect of lung infection and immune status on the murine pharmacokinetics and pulmonary disposition of tedizolid and linezolid. Both factors resulted in differing blood and pulmonary exposure profiles, with similar trends for tedizolid and linezolid. These data highlight the importance of pharmacokinetic confirmation in each model.
Phase II Dose-Ranging Trial of the Early Bactericidal Activity of PA-824
Authors: Diacon Andreas H. , Dawson Rodney , du Bois Jeannine , Narunsky Kim , Venter Amour , Donald Peter R. , van Niekerk Christo , Erondu Ngozi , Ginsberg Ann M. , Becker Piet , Spigelman Melvin K.
Published: March 2012

PA-824 is a novel nitroimidazo-oxazine under evaluation as an antituberculosis agent. A dose-ranging randomized study was conducted to evaluate the safety, tolerability, pharmacokinetics, and early bactericidal activity of PA-824 in drug-sensitive, sputum smear-positive adult pulmonary-tuberculosis patients to find the lowest dose giving optimal bactericidal activity (EBA). Fifteen patients per cohort received oral PA-824 in doses of 50 mg, 100 mg, 150 mg, or 200 mg per kg body weight per day for 14 days. Eight subjects received once-daily standard antituberculosis treatment with isoniazid, rifampin, pyrazinamide, and ethambutol (HRZE) as a positive control. The primary efficacy endpoint was the mean rate of decline in log CFU of
Mycobacterium tuberculosis
in sputum incubated on agar plates from serial overnight sputum collections, expressed as log
10
CFU/day/ml sputum (± standard deviation). The mean 14-day EBA of HRZE was consistent with previous studies (0.177 ± 0.042), and that of PA-824 at 50 mg, 100 mg, 150 mg, and 200 mg was 0.063 ± 0.058, 0.091 ± 0.073, 0.078 ± 0.074, and 0.112 ± 0.070, respectively. Although the study was not powered for testing the difference between arms, there was a trend toward significance, indicating a lower EBA at the 50-mg dose. Serum PA-824 levels were approximately dose proportional with respect to the area under the time-concentration curve. All doses were safe and well tolerated with no dose-limiting adverse events or clinically significant QTc changes. A dose of 100 mg to 200 mg PA-824 daily appears to be safe and efficacious and will be further evaluated as a component of novel antituberculosis regimens for drug-sensitive and drug-resistant tuberculosis.
Pegylation of Antimicrobial Peptides Maintains the Active Peptide Conformation, Model Membrane Interactions, and Antimicrobial Activity while Improving Lung Tissue Biocompatibility following Airway Delivery
Authors: Morris Christopher J. , Beck Konrad , Fox Marc A. , Ulaeto David , Clark Graeme C. , Gumbleton Mark
Published: March 2012

Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) have therapeutic potential, particularly for localized infections such as those of the lung. Here we show that airway administration of a pegylated AMP minimizes lung tissue toxicity while nevertheless maintaining antimicrobial activity. CaLL, a potent synthetic AMP (KWKLFKKIFKRIVQRIKDFLR) comprising fragments of LL-37 and cecropin A peptides, was N-terminally pegylated (PEG-CaLL). PEG-CaLL derivatives retained significant antimicrobial activity (50% inhibitory concentrations [IC
50
s] 2- to 3-fold higher than those of CaLL) against bacterial lung pathogens even in the presence of lung lining fluid. Circular dichroism and fluorescence spectroscopy confirmed that conformational changes associated with the binding of CaLL to model microbial membranes were not disrupted by pegylation. Pegylation of CaLL reduced AMP-elicited cell toxicity as measured using
in vitro
lung epithelial primary cell cultures. Further, in a fully intact
ex vivo
isolated perfused rat lung (IPRL) model, airway-administered PEG-CaLL did not result in disruption of the pulmonary epithelial barrier, whereas CaLL caused an immediate loss of membrane integrity leading to pulmonary edema. All AMPs (CaLL, PEG-CaLL, LL-37, cecropin A) delivered to the lung by airway administration showed limited (<3%) pulmonary absorption in the IPRL with extensive AMP accumulation in lung tissue itself, a characteristic anticipated to be beneficial for the treatment of pulmonary infections. We conclude that pegylation may present a means of improving the lung biocompatibility of AMPs designed for the treatment of pulmonary infections.