bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Opening the Circle of Pursuit and Distance
Authors: Wile Daniel B.
Published: October 2012

Pursuit and distance is actually a circle of stages with each partner's behavior triggering that of the other. The pursuing partner, frustrated by the withdrawn partner's unresponsiveness, shifts from pursuing to attacking. The withdrawn partner defends him/herself and in some cases attacks back, producing a third stage, attack–defend, followed by the fourth stage in which the partners, feeling injured by the exchange, go off to nurse their wounds. Eventually, and often soon, the pursuing partner again becomes distressed by the lack of emotional connection and again pursues, which triggers a repeat of the whole sequence. Couples can go on for years repeating the sequence of pursue–withdraw, attack–withdraw, attack–defend, and withdraw–withdraw. As time goes on, the pursue may drop out, as may also the attack and defend, leaving just the withdraw. Delineating these stages is particularly important in Collaborative Couple therapy, an approach based on turning the couple's immediate alienated state (pursue–withdraw, attack–withdraw, and so on) into an intimate one (engage–engage). The therapist constructs a perspective above the fray —a platform, perch, or observing couple ego—from which partners can operate as joint troubleshooters attending to problems that occur in the relationship, which, in the case of pursuit and distance, means the alienated states they circle through.
Evidence for a dual functional role of a conserved histidine in RNA·DNA heteroduplex cleavage by human RNase H1
Authors: Alla Nageswara R. , Nicholson Allen W.
Published: October 2012

Ribonuclease H1 is a conserved enzyme that cleaves the RNA strand of RNA·DNA heteroduplexes and has important functions in the nuclear and mitochondrial compartments. The therapeutic action of antisense oligodeoxynucleotides involves the recruitment of RNase H1 to cleave disease‐relevant RNA targets. Recombinant human (Hs) RNase H1 was purified from a bacterial expression host, and conditions were identified that provided optimal oligonucleotide‐directed RNA cleavage in vitro. Hs‐RNase H1 exhibits optimal catalytic activity in pH 7.5 HEPES buffer and a salt (KCl) concentration of ~ 100–150 mm. Mg2+ best supports Hs‐RNase H1 with an optimal concentration of 10 mm, but at higher concentrations inhibits enzyme activity. Mn2+ and Co2+ also support catalytic activity, while Ni2+ and Zn2+ exhibit only modest activities as cofactors. The optimized assay was used to show that an antisense oligonucleotide, added in substoichiometric amounts to initiate RNA cleavage, supports up to 30 rounds of reaction in 30 min. Mutation to alanine of the conserved histidine at position 264 causes an ~ 100‐fold decrease in kcat under multiple‐turnover conditions, but does not alter Km. Under single‐turnover conditions, the H264A mutant exhibits a 12‐fold higher exponential time constant for substrate cleavage. The defective activity of the H264A mutant is not rescued in either assay condition by higher Mg2+ concentrations. These data implicate the H264 side chain in phosphodiester hydrolysis as well as in product release, and are consistent with a proposed model in which the H264 side chain interacts with a divalent metal ion to support catalysis.
The expression and role of Lysyl oxidase (LOX) in dentinogenesis
Authors: Tjäderhane L. , Vered M. , Pääkkönen V. , Peteri A. , Mäki J. M. , Myllyharju J. , Dayan D. , Salo T.
Published: October 2012

Aim

To establish whether eliminating Lysyl oxidase (LOX) gene would affect dentine formation.

Methodology

Newborn wild‐type (wt) and homo‐ and heterozygous LOX knock‐out (Lox−/− and Lox+/−, respectively) mice were used to study developing tooth morphology and dentine formation. Collagen aggregation in the developing dentine was examined histochemically with picrosirius red (PSR) staining followed by polarized microscopy. Because Lox−/− die at birth, adult wt and Lox+/− mouse tooth morphologies were examined with FESEM. Human odontoblasts and pulp tissue were used to study the expression of LOX and its isoenzymes with Affymetrix cDNA microarray.

Results

No differences between Lox−/−, Lox+/− and wt mice developing tooth morphology were seen by light microscopy. Histochemically, however, teeth in wt mice demonstrated yellow‐orange and orange‐red polarization colours with PSR staining, indicating thick and more densely packed collagen fibres, whilst in Lox−/− and Lox+/− mice, most of the polarization colours were green to green‐yellow, indicating thinner, less aggregated collagen fibres. Fully developed teeth did not show any differences between Lox+/− and wt mice with FESEM. Human odontoblasts expressed LOX and three of four of its isoenzymes.

Conclusions

The data indicate that LOX is not essential in dentinogenesis, even though LOX deletion may affect dentine matrix collagen thickness and packing. The absence of functional LOX may be compensated by LOX isoenzymes.
Functional changes in regulatory T cells during an experimental infection with sparganum (plerocercofid of Spirometra mansoni)
Authors: Kim Hyung‐Ran , Lee Su‐Min , Won Jong‐Wha , Lim Woosung , Moon Byung‐In , Yang Hyun‐Jong , Seoh Ju‐Young
Published: October 2012

Regulatory T (Treg) cells are important in the regulation of immune response, but the exact regulation of Treg‐cell function in vivo is still not well known. In the present study, we investigated the functional activity of CD4+ CD25+ Treg cells as well as the frequency and number of CD4+ CD25+ FoxP3+ Treg cells in the spleens of experimentally infected mice with a tissue‐migrating parasite, sparganum (plerocercoid of Spirometra mansoni) for 3 weeks. The results demonstrated fluctuations in the Treg‐cell function during the parasite infection, being up‐regulated at day 3, down‐regulated until day 14, and thereafter up‐regulated again at day 21. We also investigated the cytokine‐producing capability of the splenocytes to study the pattern of immune response of the mice to the parasite. The results showed decreased capabilities of interleukin‐2 (IL‐2), interferon‐γ (IFN‐γ) and IL‐17α production, whereas IL‐4‐producing and IL‐10‐producing capabilities were increased along with the parasitic infection. Meanwhile, IL‐6‐producing capability was increased to reach a peak at week 2, and thereafter was decreased to the baseline level. As a regulatory mechanism, we found that Treg‐cell function was attenuated in the presence of the crude extracts of sparganum, but was enhanced in the presence of the excretory–secretory products, suggesting that sparganum products were involved in the triggering and regulation of immune response in the acute and chronic phases, respectively. Results show that Treg cells are central in the immune homeostasis in vivo that is maintained by host–parasite interactions during the parasitic infection.
Anti‐interleukin‐33 inhibits cigarette smoke‐induced lung inflammation in mice
Authors: Qiu Chuan , Li Yan , Li Mingcai , Li Min , Liu Xiaojin , McSharry Charles , Xu Damo
Published: October 2012

The mechanism by which cigarette smoke (CS) causes chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is poorly understood. Interleukin‐33 (IL‐33) is a pleiotropic cytokine predominantly expressed in lung tissue and can elicit airway inflammation in naive mice. We tested the hypothesis that IL‐33 is induced by CS and contributes to CS‐mediated airway inflammation in a mouse model of CS‐induced COPD. Groups of mice were exposed to CS three times per day for 4 consecutive days. The expression levels of IL‐33 and ST2 were markedly enhanced in the lung tissue of mice inhaling CS. Exposure to CS also induced neutrophil and macrophage infiltration and expression of inflammatory cytokines (IL‐1β, tumour necrosis factor‐α, IL‐17), chemokines (monocyte chemoattractant protein‐1) and mucin 5, subtypes A and C in the airways. More importantly, all of these CS‐induced pathogenic changes were significantly inhibited by treatment with neutralizing anti‐IL‐33 antibody delivered intranasally. Hence, our results suggest that IL‐33 plays a critical role in CS‐mediated airway inflammation and may be a therapeutic target in CS‐related diseases, including COPD.
Influenza A viruses dual and multiple infections with other respiratory viruses and risk of hospitalisation and mortality
Authors: Goka Edward , Vallely Pamela , Mutton Kenneth , Klapper Paul
Published: October 2012

Please cite this paper as: Goka et al. (2013) Influenza A viruses dual and multiple infections with other respiratory viruses and risk of hospitalisation and mortality. Influenza and Other Respiratory Viruses 7(6), 1079–1087.

Introduction Recent literature suggests that dual or multiple virus infections may affect disease severity. However, few studies have investigated the effect of co‐infection with influenza A viruses.

Objectives To identify the association between influenza A and respiratory viruses co‐infections with disease outcome.

Methodology Data for samples from North West England tested between January 2007 and June 2011 was analysed for patterns of co‐infection between influenza A viruses and eight respiratory viruses. Risk of hospitalisation to ICU or general ward in single versus co‐infections was assessed using logistic regression.

Results Of the 25 596 samples analysed for respiratory viruses 40·7% (10 501) were positive for any virus. Co‐infections were detected in 4·7% (137/2879) of all patients with influenza A(H1N1)pdm09, and 7·3% (57/779) of those with other influenza A virus infections. Co‐infection between seasonal influenza A viruses and influenza B virus was associated with a significant increase in the risk of admission to ICU/death (OR: 22·0, 95% CI: 2·21–219·8, P = 0·008). Respiratory syncytial virus/influenza A (RSV/Flu A) co‐infection also increased this risk but was not statistically significant. For influenza A(H1N1)pdm09, RSV and AdV co‐infection increased risk of hospitalisation to general ward whereas Flu B increased risk of admission to ICU, but none of these were statistically significant.

Conclusion Co‐infection is a significant predictor of disease outcome; combined treatment, introduction of an integrated vaccine for all respiratory viruses and development of multi‐target rapid diagnostic tests is recommended. Integration of respiratory viruses’ co‐infections into public health reports could also contribute to the accumulation of evidence.
Influence of renal replacement therapy on immune response after one and two doses of the A(H1N1) pdm09 vaccine
Authors: Quintana Luis F. , Serra Nuria , De Molina‐Llauradó Patricia , Blasco Miquel , Martinez Mikel , Campos Begoña , Bayas Jose M. , Pumarola Tomás , Campistol Josep M.
Published: October 2012

Please cite this paper as: Quintana et al. (2012) Influence of renal replacement therapy on immune response after one and two doses of the A(H1N1) pdm09 vaccine. Influenza and Other Respiratory Viruses DOI: 10.1111/irv.12024.

Background  Patients with end‐stage renal disease have a reduced response to vaccination because of the general suppression of the immune system associated with uraemia.

Objectives  We evaluated the immune response and differential factors in the immunogenecity to an adjuvanted A(H1N1) pdm09 vaccine (Pandemrix®) in four populations of renal patients after one and two doses of vaccine.

Patients Methods  151 patients were included in this study: 58 chronic haemodialysis patients, 52 renal allograft recipients, 14 peritoneal dialysis patients and 27 patients with advanced chronic kidney disease in preparation for kidney replacement therapy. Influenza‐specific antibody levels were measured by monitoring A(H1N1) pdm09 titres using a haemagglutination inhibition assay.

Results  The seroconversion rate at 42 days after two vaccine doses was 80% in the haemodialysis group, 64·9% in the renal allograft recipients group, 100% in the advanced chronic kidney disease group and 71·4% in the peritoneal dialysis group (P = 0·041).

Conclusions  Immune response to two doses of the influenza A H1N1 vaccine is dissimilar in the four renal conditions, confirming that seroprotection in pre‐dialysis, haemodialysis and peritoneal dialysis is similar to that in the general population vaccinated with one dose. In contrast, renal transplant recipients with good allograft function showed inadequate protection and triple immunosuppressive therapy including calcineurin inhibitors, mycophenolate and steroids negatively influenced seroconversion after vaccination in renal recipients.
Extraordinary growth in tiger sharks Galeocerdo cuvier from the South Atlantic Ocean
Authors: Afonso A. S. , Hazin F. H. V. , Barreto R. R. , Santana F. M. , Lessa R. P.
Published: October 2012

Two tagged‐and‐recaptured tiger sharks Galeocerdo cuvier, measuring 172 and 304 cm total length (LT) and at age 0·75 and 3·50 years, exhibited unmatched growth rates of 118·4 and 55·5 cm year−1, respectively. The larger fish was nearly mature, indicating that G. cuvier off Brazil could mature considerably earlier than conspecifics from other regions.
Empirical standard mass equation for Salmo marmoratus
Authors: Lorenzoni M. , Giannetto D. , Maio G. , Pizzul E. , Pompei L. , Turin P. , Vincenzi S. , Crivelli A.
Published: October 2012

Total length (LT) (range 24–1000 mm; mean ±s.e. = 170·21 ± 0·36 mm) and mass (W) (range 0·10–9590 g; mean ±s.e. = 76·03 ± 0·87 g) of 36 460 specimens of marble trout Salmo marmoratus were used to compute a standard mass (Ws) equation for this species by means of the empirical percentile (EmP) method. The EmP Ws equation calculated was: log10Ws = −5·208 + 3·202 log10LT− 0·046 (log10LT)2 (LT range 90–570 mm) and it is valid throughout the species' area of distribution across Europe.
Organic soils provide evidence of spatial variation in human‐induced vegetation change following European occupation of Tasmania
Authors: Folco Maj‐Britt di , Kirkpatrick James B.
Published: October 2012

Aim

We test the hypothesis that the European destruction of western Tasmanian Aboriginal society, and consequent changes in burning patterns, resulted in succession towards rain forest near the coast, and an increase in the area of more fire‐resistant sedgeland in inland areas.

Location

South‐western and western Tasmania, Australia.

Methods

Attributes of organic soils (surface and underlying dominant horizons) beneath rain forest and sedgeland were described and measured from 559 soil pits in areas with highly siliceous surface geology. Multiple logistic regression was used to discriminate the dominant horizons of rain forest and sedgeland soils. This equation was used to derive scores for all soil pits. The hypothesis that change was greater near existing boundaries was tested using correlation. The hypothesis that change was greater at coastal than inland locations was tested using ANOVA.

Results

Both upper horizons of the soils under the fire‐sensitive rain forest (14C‐dated to be younger than 60 years) and dominant horizons of these soils had significantly higher organic contents, lower bulk density and more nitrogen than the soils under the fire‐requiring sedgeland. Twenty‐nine per cent of the soils under sedgeland had dominant horizons that indicated past rain forest. One‐quarter of the soils under rain forest had dominant horizons characteristic of sedgeland soils. Although results were heterogeneous in both locations, the former difference was more common inland and the latter near the coast. Change was not higher close to present boundaries.

Main conclusions

The characteristics of the dominant horizons and the post‐colonial surface horizon give a strong indication of the vegetation that formed them. Changes in fire regimes, caused by the displacement of Tasmanian Aborigines by Europeans, appear to have caused vegetation changes that differed within and between the coast and inland areas. Thus, there has been a strong human role in determining the distributions of vegetation types in the region.
Using cross‐correlation for automated stitching of two‐dimensional multi‐tile electron backscatter diffraction data
Authors: PILCHAK A.L. , SHIVELEY A.R. , SHADE P.A. , TILEY J.S. , BALLARD D.L.
Published: October 2012

A method for automatically aligning consecutive data sets of large, two‐dimensional multi‐tile electron backscatter diffraction (EBSD) scans with high accuracy was developed. The method involved first locating grain and phase boundaries within search regions containing overlapping data in adjacent scan tiles, and subsequently using cross‐correlation algorithms to determine the relative position of the individual scan tiles which maximizes the fraction of overlapping boundaries. Savitzky‐Golay filtering in two dimensions was used to estimate the background, which was then subtracted from the cross‐correlation to enhance the peak signal in samples with a high density of interfaces. The technique was demonstrated on data sets with a range of interface densities. The equations were implemented as enhancements to a recently published open source code for stitching of multi‐tile EBSD data sets.
A new method for exact three‐dimensional reconstructions of diatom frustules
Authors: FRIEDRICHS L. , MAIER M. , HAMM C.
Published: October 2012

Exact geometric description, numerical analysis and comparison of microscopic objects such as the frustules of diatoms are of increasing importance in basic research (e.g. functional morphology, taxonomy and biogeochemistry). Similarly, applied research and product development in the fields of lightweight construction and nanotechnology can benefit from machine‐readable data of such structures. This paper presents a new method to combine data from scanning electron microscopy and confocal laser scanning microscopy to generate exact three‐dimensional models of diatom frustules. We propose a method to obtain a high‐quality mesh for subsequent analysis through finite element analysis, for example, for biomechanical research on diatom frustules. A specific lightweight value as a universal tool to describe and compare the biomechanical quality of microscopic objects is introduced.

 Our approach improves the precision of three‐dimensional reconstructions, but the generation of usable finite element meshes from complex three‐dimensional data based on microscopic techniques requires either a transformation of grid points into elements or smoothing algorithms. Biomechanical analyses of differently obtained models indicate that more complex three‐dimensional reconstructions lead to more realistic results.
How far is it to your local? A survey on local provenance use in New South Wales
Authors: Hancock Nola , Hughes Lesley
Published: October 2012

Summary  The decision as to where to source seed is one of the most critical in restoration projects. Locally collected seed is often recommended, or even contractually required, because it is assumed to be adapted to local conditions and therefore result in superior survival and growth rates, conferring a greater probability of restoration success. The perceived advantages, which include retaining the genetic ‘integrity’ of the site, are centred around the avoidance of outbreeding depression and hybridization. These traditional reasons for using locally collected seed need to be reconsidered in the light of rapidly changing climatic and other environmental conditions; plants that are locally adapted now may not be locally adapted in future. Understanding the current usage of local provenance is pivotal to discussions on its appropriateness under climate change. We present the results of a survey of restoration practitioners in New South Wales on attitudes and practices in relation to the use of local provenance. We found that whilst the majority of practitioners preferentially use local provenance seeds, the actual definition of local provenance varied amongst respondents. Whilst 80% of participants believe that projections of future climate change are relevant to restoration projects, there is an apparent reluctance to actively manage for this eventuality. However, many respondents are in favour of a review of seed‐sourcing policy/guidelines to allow for the inclusion of non‐local provenance material. Implications of the survey for potential changes to guidelines to better prepare for anticipated changing conditions are discussed.
Varied occurrence of diverse sulfonylurea‐resistant biotypes of Schoenoplectus juncoides [Roxb.] Palla in Japan, as classified by an acetolactate synthase gene mutation
Authors: Sada Yoshinao , Kizawa Satoru , Ikeda Hajime
Published: October 2012

Suspected sulfonylurea (SU)‐resistant Schoenoplectus juncoides plants were collected from rice paddy fields at 24 sites in Japan in order to discover the occurrence pattern of target‐site substitutions on a nationwide scale and at a local field scale. A genetic analysis of the two acetolactate synthase (ALS) genes, ALS1 and ALS2, of the collected plants confirmed that a single‐nucleotide mutation at the Pro197, Asp376 or Trp574 site of either ALS1 or ALS2 existed in each suspected SU‐resistant plant. On a nationwide scale, it was shown that the ALS1 mutations and the ALS2 mutations occurred at a similar frequency, that the P197S and the P197L substitutions were found most frequently among all the substitutions, and that the W574L substitutions (known as global resistance to any ALS‐inhibiting herbicide) were found at a relatively low frequency but in a geographically wide range. In the local field‐scale survey, which was conducted at two sites in Hyogo Prefecture, it was shown that the substitutions were less diverse, compared to on a nationwide scale, probably because the investigation involved a limited number of local fields, and that several substitutions and a susceptible biotype were found in single fields suggesting that a number of collections is required in order to understand the local SU‐resistant status of S. juncoides. In addition, this study reported new findings, that of the P197R, P197T and D376E substitutions in S. juncoides. This set of diverse substitutions in a weed species can be used for further research purposes.
Gatekeepers of the Urban Commons? Vigilant Citizenship and Neoliberal Space in Multiethnic Paris
Authors: Newman Andrew
Published: October 2012

This article draws from ethnographic research on a recently built park in one of Paris' predominately West African and Maghrebi districts. It demonstrates how urban design is used to “build‐in” neoliberal subjectivities to the city. This design approach appropriates a tradition of street democracy held by neighborhood associations and redirects their disproportionately middle class, French membership into managerial roles traditionally held by municipal agencies. This neoliberal political subjectivity, which I term vigilant citizenship, makes monitoring and controlling the social composition of the urban commons a form of civic engagement for middle class urbanites. In Paris, this vigilance is fueled by anxieties over the presence of West African and Maghrebi youth in public spaces. Activists do not passively adopt this neoliberal role; they strike a delicate balance as gatekeepers, weighing inclusion against an expectation to maintain a “successful” public space conforming to a republican model of citizenship.
Multi‐Component Theories of Well‐being and Their Structure
Authors: Sarch Alexander F.
Published: October 2012

The ‘adjustment strategy’ currently seems to be the most common approach to incorporating objective elements into one's theory of well‐being. These theories face a certain problem, however, which can be avoided by a different approach – namely, that employed by ‘partially objective multi‐component theories.’ Several such theories have recently been proposed, but the question of how to understand their mathematical structure has not been adequately addressed. I argue that the most mathematically simple of these multi‐component theories fails, so I proceed to investigate more sophisticated ways to formulate such a theory. I conclude that one of these – the Discount/Inflation Theory – is particularly promising.
Mixed‐linkage glucan:xyloglucan endotransglucosylase (MXE) re‐models hemicelluloses in Equisetum shoots but not in barley shoots or Equisetum callus
Authors: Mohler Kyle E. , Simmons Thomas J. , Fry Stephen C.
Published: October 2012

Among land‐plant hemicelluloses, xyloglucan is ubiquitous, whereas mixed‐linkage (1→3),(1→4)‐β‐d‐glucan (MLG) is confined to the Poales (e.g. cereals) and Equisetales (horsetails). The enzyme MLG:xyloglucan endotransglucosylase (MXE) grafts MLG to xyloglucan. In Equisetum, MXE often exceeds extractable xyloglucan endotransglucosylase (XET) activity; curiously, cereals lack extractable MXE. We investigated whether barley possesses inextractable MXE.

Grafting of endogenous MLG or xyloglucan onto exogenous [3H]xyloglucan oligosaccharides in vivo indicated MXE and XET action, respectively. Extractable MXE and XET activities were assayed in vitro.

MXE and XET actions were both detectable in living Equisetum fluviatile shoots, the MXE : XET ratio increasing with age. However, only XET action was observed in barley coleoptiles, leaves and roots (which all contained MLG) and in E. fluviatile intercalary meristems and callus (which lacked MLG). In E. fluviatile, extractable MXE activity was high in mature shoots, but extremely low in callus and young shoots; in E. arvense strobili, it was undetectable.

Barley possesses neither extractable nor inextractable MXE, despite containing both of its substrates and high XET activity. As the Poales are xyloglucan‐poor, the role of their abundant endotransglucosylases remains enigmatic. The distribution of MXE action and activity within Equisetum suggests a strengthening role in ageing tissues.
A case of pregnancy following a modified Strassman procedure applied to treat a placental site trophoblastic tumour
Authors: Saso S , Chatterjee J , Yazbek J , Thum Y , Keefe KW , Abdallah Y , Naji O , Lindsay I , Savage PM , Seckl MJ , Smith JR
Published: October 2012

Please cite this paper as: Saso S, Chatterjee J, Yazbek J, Thum Y, Keefe K, Abdallah Y, Naji O, Lindsay I, Savage P, Seckl M, Smith J. A case of pregnancy following a modified Strassman procedure applied to treat a placental site trophoblastic tumour. BJOG 2012; DOI: 10.1111/j.1471‐0528.2012.03501.x.
Caesarean section in nulliparous women of advanced maternal age has been reduced in Sweden and Norway since the 1970s: a register‐based study
Authors: Waldenström U , Gottvall K , Rasmussen S
Published: October 2012

Please cite this paper as: Waldenström U, Gottvall K, Rasmussen S. Caesarean section in nulliparous women of advanced maternal age has been reduced in Sweden and Norway since the 1970s: a register‐based study. BJOG 2012;119:1591–1596.

Objective  To investigate rates of caesarean delivery in Sweden and Norway from 1973 to 2008 in relation to advanced and very advanced maternal age.

Design  Register study.

Setting  Sweden and Norway.

Sample  All nulliparous women aged over 30 years with a singleton pregnancy, with the fetus in a cephalic presentation, and delivering at term between 1973 and 2008 were evaluated. The study population comprised 329 824 women in Sweden and 127 810 women in Norway.

Methods  Data from the national Medical Birth Registers were used to describe caesarean section rates in three age groups: 30–34 years (reference group); 35–39 years (advanced age group); and ≥40 years (very advanced age group). Logistic regression analyses estimated the risk in each age group over four decades, in each of the two national samples.

Results  Caesarean delivery decreased from 1973–1979 to 2000–2008 in the two oldest age groups in Sweden (35–39 years, OR = 0.53, 95% CI = 0.50–0.58; ≥40 years, OR = 0.36, 95% CI = 0.30–0.43) and Norway (35–39 years, OR = 0.61, 95% CI = 0.54–0.68; ≥40 years, OR = 0.45, 95% CI = 0.34–0.58), but increased in women aged 30–34 years. The caesarean delivery rate in the two oldest groups peaked in the second half of the 1970s. Regardless of time point, the caesarean delivery rate was always highest in women aged ≥40 years, followed by women aged 35–39 years and lowest in women aged 30–34 years.

Conclusions  Caesarean delivery in nulliparous women of advanced and very advanced age peaked by end of the 1970s in Sweden and Norway. The subsequent reduction was contemporaneous with the introduction of electronic fetal monitoring and a more consistent use of the partogram, suggesting that more effective surveillance of labour increased the chance of a vaginal birth in these high‐risk women.
Completeness of the fossil record and the validity of sampling proxies at outcrop level
Authors: DUNHILL ALEXANDER M. , BENTON MICHAEL J. , TWITCHETT RICHARD J. , NEWELL ANDREW J.
Published: October 2012

Abstract:  Most studies of the adequacy of the fossil record have been carried out at a global or continental scale, and they have used sampling proxies that generally do not incorporate all aspects of sampling (i.e. rock volume, accessibility, effort). Nonetheless, such studies have identified positive correlations between apparent diversity and various sampling proxies. The covariation of fossil and rock record signals has been interpreted as evidence for bias or for a common cause, such as sea level change, or as evidence that the signals are in some ways redundant with each other. Here, we compare a number of proxies representing the three main aspects of sampling, (1) sedimentary rock volume, (2) rock accessibility and (3) worker effort, with palaeodiversity in a geographically and stratigraphically constrained data set, the marine Lower Jurassic outcrop of the Dorset and East Devon Coast. We find that the proxies for rock volume and accessibility do not correlate well with the other sampling proxies, nor with apparent diversity, suggesting that the total amount of sedimentary rock preserved does not influence apparent diversity at a local scale, that is, the rock record at outcrop has been sampled efficiently. However, we do find some correlations between apparent diversity and proxies for worker effort. The fact that the proxies do not correlate significantly with each other suggests that none can be regarded as an all‐encompassing sampling proxy that covers all aspects of bias. Further, the presence of some correlations between sampling proxies and diversity most probably indicates the bonanza effect, as palaeontologists have preferentially sampled the richest rock units.
Anatomy of the coracoid and diversity of the Procellariiformes (Aves) in the Oligocene of Europe
Authors: ELZANOWSKI ANDRZEJ , BIEŃKOWSKA‐WASILUK MAŁGORZATA , CHODYŃ RAFAL , BOGDANOWICZ WIESŁAW
Published: October 2012

Abstract: Two European species of the Diomedeoididae, an extinct family of procellariiform (tube‐nose) birds, have hitherto been distinguished primarily by size of their limb bones. Here, we describe an Early Oligocene (Rupelian) procellariifom coracoid that in all probability represents the larger species, Diomedeoides lipsiensis, and compare it to the coracoids of smaller diomedeoidids and extant procellariiforms. Using multivariate (Principal Component Analysis) and univariate analyses, we demonstrate that nearly all measurements are heavily size dependent, which makes the proportions and some other shape characters of little use as phylogenetic markers. Among eight measurements, the coracoid corpus width shows the highest correlation (higher than corpus depth) with body mass, permitting a precise calculation of over twofold difference in body mass between D. lipsiensis and smaller species. Among 16 qualitative characters analysed, the majority proved too variable to be used as markers of interfamily relationships and only 2–3, the ventral intermuscular line, sternocoracoid articulation (divided vs. undivided), and, with reservations, epimarginal crest vary consistently between the families. By far the most variable is the acrocoracoid process that tends to be deeper (more elongate dorsoventrally) in larger petrels but not in the albatrosses. However, the detailed shapes of the acrocoracoid heads are highly genus specific and suggest a genus‐level diversity among the Diomedeoididae from the Oligocene of Europe. The common features of the diomedeoidid coracoids are best interpreted as plesiomorphies, which accounts for some similarities to the Oceanitinae (that are probably basal among the crown‐group procellariiforms). The evidence from the coracoid is consistent with a stem‐group position of the Diomedeoididae as previously proposed by others. We emphasize the need of a group‐specific character analysis, primarily of allometries and levels of character variation, prior to a phylogenetic reconstruction.
Soft–part preservation in heteromorph ammonites from the Cenomanian–Turonian Boundary Event (OAE 2) in north–west Germany
Authors: KLUG CHRISTIAN , RIEGRAF WOLFGANG , LEHMANN JENS
Published: October 2012

Abstract:  From thinly laminated marlstones of the Hesseltal Formation, representing the Late Cenomanian Oceanic Anoxic Event (OAE) 2, at Lengerich in the Teutoburger Wald (Westfalen, north‐west Germany), 17 sediment‐compacted baculitid ammonites with carbonised and partially phosphatised soft parts are recorded. Some preserve remains of the buccal mass, including jaws (occasionally articulated) and radulae, as well as of the cephalic cartilage, such as eye capsules. Such have not yet been recorded previously for the order Ammonoidea. In addition, originally unmineralised parts found preserved in these specimens include extensive portions of the digestive tract, the siphonal tube, false colour patterns (megastriae), as well as traces of what would appear to be the oviduct. At the same levels, patches with numerous isolated horny upper and rarer lower jaws as well as radulae occur; these may represent regurgitates or faeces of larger predators. The cephalopod remains described were deposited in an epicontinental setting, possibly at palaeodepths between 200 and 600 m. In this particular Late Cretaceous fossil Lagerstätte, upper jaws and anaptychi of ammonites rank among the commonest fossils.
Variation with Land Use of Immune Function and Prevalence of Avian Pox in Galapagos Finches
Authors: Zylberberg Maxine , Lee Kelly A. , Klasing Kirk C. , Wikelski Martin
Published: October 2012

Introduced disease has been implicated in recent wildlife extinctions and population declines worldwide. Both anthropogenic‐induced change and natural environmental features can affect pathogen spread. Furthermore, environmental disturbance can result in changes in stress physiology, nutrition, and social structure, which in turn can suppress immune system function. However, it remains unknown whether landscape variation results in heterogeneity in host resistance to pathogens. Avian pox virus, a pathogen implicated in avian declines and extinctions in Hawaii, was introduced to the Galapagos in the 1890s, and prevalence (total number of current infections) has increased recently in finches. We tested whether prevalence and recovery trends in 7 species of Galapagos finches varied by elevation or human land use. To do so, we used infection data obtained from 545 wild‐caught birds. In addition, we determined whether annual changes in 4 aspects of innate immune function (complement protein activity, natural antibody activity, concentration of PIT54 protein, and heterophil:lymphocyte ratio) varied by elevation or land use. Prevalence and recovery rates did not vary by elevation from 2008 to 2009. Avian pox prevalence and proportion of recovered individuals in undeveloped and urban areas did not change from 2008 to 2009. In agricultural areas, avian pox prevalence increased 8‐fold (from 2% to 17% of 234 individuals sampled) and proportion of recovered individuals increased (11% to 19%) from 2008 to 2009. These results suggest high disease‐related mortality. Variation in immune function across human land‐use types correlated with variation in both increased prevalence and susceptibility, which indicates changes in innate immune function may underlie changes in disease susceptibility. Our results suggest anthropogenic disturbance, in particular agricultural practices, may underlie immunological changes in host species that themselves contribute to pathogen emergence.

Variación con el Uso de Suelo de la Función Inmune y la Prevalencia de la Varicela Aviar en Pinzones de las Galápagos
Characterization of acute and long‐term pathologies of superficial and deep dermal sulfur mustard skin lesions in the hairless guinea pig model
Authors: Dachir Shlomit , Cohen Maayan , Kamus‐Elimeleh Dikla , Fishbine Eliezer , Sahar Rita , Gez Rellie , Brandeis Rachel , Horwitz Vered , Kadar Tamar
Published: October 2012

Sulfur mustard induces severe acute and prolonged damage to the skin and only partially effective treatments are available. We have previously validated the use of hairless guinea pigs as an experimental model for skin lesions. The present study aimed to characterize a model of a deep dermal lesion and to compare it with the previously described superficial lesion. Clinical evaluation of the lesions was conducted using reflectance colorimetry, trans‐epidermal water loss and wound area measurements. Prostaglandin E2 content, matrix metalloproteinase‐2 and 9 activity, and histopathology were conducted up to 4 weeks post‐exposure. Sulfur mustard skin injury, including erythema and edema, impairment of skin barrier and wounds developed in a dose‐dependent manner. Prostaglandin E2 content and matrix metalloproteinase‐2 and 9 activities were elevated during the wound development and the healing process. Histological evaluation revealed severe damage to the epidermis and deep dermis and vesications. At 4 weeks postexposure, healing was not completed: significantly impaired stratum corneum, absence of hair follicles, and epidermal hyperplasia were observed. These results confirm the use of the superficial and deep dermal skin injuries in the hairless guinea pigs as suitable models that can be utilized for the investigation of the pathological processes of acute as well as long‐term injuries. These models will be further used to develop treatments to improve the healing process and prevent skin damage and long‐term effects.
Human skin transcriptome during superficial cutaneous wound healing
Authors: Nuutila Kristo , Siltanen Antti , Peura Matti , Bizik Jozef , Kaartinen Ilkka , Kuokkanen Hannu , Nieminen Tapio , Harjula Ari , Aarnio Pertti , Vuola Jyrki , Kankuri Esko
Published: October 2012

Healing of the epidermis is a crucial process for maintaining the skin's defense integrity and its resistance to environmental threats. Compromised wound healing renders the individual readily vulnerable to infections and loss of body homeostasis. To clarify the human response of reepithelialization, we biopsied split‐thickness skin graft donor site wounds immediately before and after harvesting, as well as during the healing process 3 and 7 days thereafter. In all, 25 biopsies from eight patients qualified for the study. All samples were analyzed by genome‐wide microarrays. Here, we identified the genes associated with normal skin reepithelialization over time and organized them by similarities according to their induction or suppression patterns during wound healing. Our results provide the first elaborate insight into the transcriptome during normal human epidermal wound healing. The data not only reveal novel genes associated with epidermal wound healing but also provide a fundamental basis for the translational interpretation of data acquired from experimental models.
Heterogeneity in Growth and Desistance of Alcohol Use for Men in Their 20s: Prediction from Early Risk Factors and Association with Treatment
Authors: Capaldi Deborah M. , Feingold Alan , Kim Hyoun K. , Yoerger Karen , Washburn Isaac J.
Published: October 2012

Background

The course of men's alcohol use from ages 18 to 19 through 28 to 29 years was examined using growth mixture modeling (GMM) to determine alcohol trajectories for 3 conceptualizations of alcohol use: volume of use, heavy episodic drinking (HED), and drinking‐related problems. Trajectory classes were validated against the young men's alcohol treatment history, and childhood/adolescent predictors of trajectory membership were examined.

Methods

Participants were 205 men from the Oregon Youth Study, an ongoing longitudinal study of predominantly White men recruited from higher crime neighborhoods who were assessed annually during their 20s. The multivariate association between 3 prospectively assessed risk factors—parental alcohol use, child antisocial behavior, and age at first drunken experience—and the latent classes extracted from the GMM were examined for each alcohol indicator.

Results

A 3‐class‐solution model best fit the data for each alcohol indicator. The classes for both HED and problematic drinking for the men were significantly associated with history of treatment for alcohol use. Overall, the findings indicated a relatively large class with persistently high volume of alcohol use across the 20s and a greater prevalence of desistance for HED and alcohol problems. Age at first intoxication was the best predictor of latent class membership, and men in the initially high‐then‐desisting alcohol classes had a high level of early risk. Concordance of trajectory class membership across alcohol indicators was moderate overall but particularly strong for higher problem groups, as almost all men in the increasing HED trajectory were also in the highest volume and alcohol problems trajectory classes. Levels of treatment were high for the higher and desisting HED and alcohol problems classes.

Conclusions

Many of the men showed chronic alcohol use across the decade of the 20s and had problems resulting from their high usage. Whereas most of the men showed low and/or desisting HED across this period, desistance was less common for volume of use and for alcohol problems.
Validation of the Brief Biphasic Alcohol Effects Scale (B‐BAES)
Authors: Rueger Sandra Y. , King Andrea C.
Published: October 2012

Background

The Biphasic Alcohol Effects Scale (BAES) is a reliable and valid 14‐item measure of alcohol's acute stimulant and sedative effects, but its length may preclude use in research paradigms with time constraints on assessment. Here, we report further psychometric support for the 6‐item Brief BAES (B‐BAES) originally developed by our group in 2009.

Methods

Two studies are included: the first study tested the B‐BAES in an independent sample of young adult heavy social drinkers administered 0.8 g/kg alcohol in a laboratory challenge study (N = 104) to confirm the reliability and validity of the 6‐item B‐BAES. The second study compared the predictive validity of the B‐BAES versus the BAES in a separate sample of 104 heavy drinkers who took part in a prospective laboratory alcohol challenge and follow‐up study of drinking behaviors.

Results

An item analysis demonstrated strong support across several intervals on the breath alcohol curve for the same 6 B‐BAES items (energized, excited, up, sedated, slow thoughts, sluggish). Confirmatory factor analysis with the B‐BAES demonstrated strong support for the same underlying structure as with the full BAES, and tests of internal consistency reliability were very strong to excellent. B‐BAES subscale scores correlated highly with corresponding scores of the BAES and predicted binge‐drinking frequency during a 2‐year follow‐up.

Conclusions

These results provide strong psychometric support to confirm use of the B‐BAES in studies assessing alcohol's stimulant and sedative properties. The B‐BAES may be a useful new tool to enhance the scope of future research assessing alcohol's biphasic effects, particularly in paradigms when time and concise measurement are priorities.
Temptation to Drink as a Predictor of Drinking Outcomes Following Psychosocial Treatment for Alcohol Dependence
Authors: Witkiewitz Katie
Published: October 2012

Background

Alcohol craving, defined as the subjective experience of an urge or desire to use alcohol, has been identified in numerous settings as a significant predictor of alcohol use and alcohol relapse following treatment for alcohol use disorders. Yet, numerous limitations to the conceptualization and measurement of drinking temptation have led many researchers to question whether self‐reported drinking temptation is a useful construct for evaluating treatments for alcohol use disorders.

Methods

Secondary analyses of data from Project MATCH, a multisite randomized clinical trial, were conducted to examine the association between a single‐item measure of self‐reported “temptation to drink” and drinking outcomes. The first goal was to determine whether temptation to drink changed during the course of treatment for alcohol dependence. The second goal was to assess the predictive validity of temptation to drink, assessed during the fourth session of treatment, as a predictor of past 30‐day drinking rates and past 90‐day drinking‐related consequences at 1 and 3 years following treatment.

Results

The temptation to drink decreased significantly during treatment, and self‐reported temptation to drink during the fourth session of treatment was significantly associated with numerous drinking outcomes (including quantity, frequency, and consequences) at 1 year posttreatment (R2 = 0.04 to 0.11) and number of drinks per drinking day at 3 years following treatment (R2 = 0.02). A dichotomous measure of temptation to drink (not at all tempted vs. all other levels of temptation) had greater sensitivity as a predictor of drinking outcomes at 1 and 3 years posttreatment than alternative drinking measures (e.g., any drinking, any heavy drinking days) assessed during treatment.

Conclusions

A single‐item measure of temptation to drink was a reasonable predictor of short‐ and long‐term drinking outcomes following treatment and comparable to commonly used measures of drinking outcomes for alcohol clinical trials.
An Analysis of Stocks and Flows Associated with Water Consumption in Indian Households
Authors: Venkatesh G.
Published: October 2012

The focus of urban water system metabolism studies has, by and large, been restricted to what comes under the domain of the urban water utilities: water treatment and supply, and wastewater collection, treatment, and disposal. The material and energy flows both necessitated and facilitated by the supply of treated water to households—the water demand subsystem—are by no means negligible. This article studies the key flows into households associated with water consumption and the environmental impacts related to the same for India as a whole. Electricity consumption in washing machines and water heaters contributes the most to almost all the 13 environmental impact categories considered. This is easily explained by the fossil fuel heaviness of the Indian mix (>60%). Soaps contribute the most to terrestrial eco‐toxicity and malodorous air. In India, on a national scale, all the environmental impact categories deserve attention. The absolute consumption of electricity, soaps, and detergents, and the demand for home appliances will increase in the years to come.