bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Different methods of hilar clamping during partial nephrectomy: Impact on renal function
Authors: Lee Jeong Woo , Kim Hwanik , Choo Minsoo , Park Yong Hyun , Ku Ja Hyeon , Kim Hyeon Hoe , Kwak Cheol
Published: August 2013

Objectives

To evaluate the impact of different hilar clamping methods on changes in renal function after partial nephrectomy.

Methods

We analyzed the clinical data of 369 patients who underwent partial nephrectomy for a single renal tumor of size ≤4.0 cm and a normal contralateral kidney. Patients were separated into three groups depending on hilar clamping method: non‐clamping, cold ischemia and warm ischemia. Estimated glomerular filtration rate was examined at preoperative, nadir and 1 year postoperatively. Percent change in estimated glomerular filtration rate was used as the parameter to assess the renal functional outcome.

Results

Percent change in nadir estimated glomerular filtration rate in the non‐clamping group was significantly less compared with the cold ischemia and warm ischemia groups (P < 0.001). However, no significant differences among the groups were noted in percent change of estimated glomerular filtration rate at 1 year (P = 0.348). The cold ischemia group had a similar serial change of postoperative renal function compared with the warm ischemia group. Percent change in 1‐year estimated glomerular filtration rate increased with increasing ischemia time in the cold ischemia (P for trend = 0.073) and warm ischemia groups (P for trend = 0.010). On multivariate analysis, hilar clamping (both warm ischemia and cold ischemia) were significantly associated with percent change in nadir estimated glomerular filtration rate, but not in 1‐year estimated glomerular filtration rate.

Conclusions

Non‐clamping partial nephrectomy results in a lower percent change in nadir estimated glomerular filtration rate, whereas it carries an estimated glomerular filtration rate change at 1 year that is similar to partial nephrectomy with cold ischemia and warm ischemia. Cold ischemia and warm ischemia provide a similar effect on renal function. Therefore, when hilar clamping is required, minimization of ischemia time is necessary.
Alcohol abuse in developed and developing countries in the World Mental Health Surveys: Socially defined consequences or psychiatric disorder?
Authors: Glantz Meyer D. , Medina‐Mora Maria Elena , Petukhova Maria , Andrade Laura Helena , Anthony James C. , de Girolamo Giovanni , de Graaf Ron , Degenhardt Louisa , Demyttenaere Koen , Florescu Silvia , Gureje Oye , Haro Josep Maria , Horiguchi Itsuko , Karam Elie G. , Kostyuchenko Stanislav , Lee Sing , Lépine Jean‐Pierre , Matschinger Herbert , Neumark Yehuda , Posada‐Villa Jose , Sagar Rajesh , Stein Dan J. , Tomov Toma , Wells J. Elisabeth , Chatterji Somnath , Kessler Ronald C.
Published: August 2013

Background

Previous single country research has raised concerns that: (1) the DSM‐IV diagnosis of alcohol abuse (AA) is met primarily through the hazardous use criterion related to drinking and driving and (2) that the hazardous use and social consequences AA criteria primarily reflect varying socioeconomic and cultural factors rather than psychiatric disorder.

Methods

Using representative cross‐national data from the 21 countries in the World Mental Health surveys, adults meeting DSM‐IV lifetime criteria for AA but not dependence from 10 developed (n = 46,071) and 11 developing (n = 49,761) countries were assessed as meeting AA with the hazardous use or the social consequences criteria.

Results

Between 29.3% (developed) and 16.2% (developing) of respondents with AA met only the hazardous use criterion. AA cases with and without hazardous use were similar in age‐of‐onset, course, predictors, and psychopathological consequences in both developed and developing countries.

Discussion and Conclusions

Despite some associations of the AA criteria with socioeconomic factors, the hazardous use and social consequences criteria were significantly associated with psychiatric predictors and sequelae. The findings indicate that these criteria reflect psychiatric disorder and are appropriate for inclusion as DSM‐5 Alcohol Use Disorder criteria.

Scientific Significance

These findings support a psychiatric rather than a sociocultural view of the hazardous use and social consequences symptoms and provide evidence that they are appropriate diagnostic criteria cross‐nationally with utility in a wide range of socioeconomic environments. This suggests consideration for their adoption by ICD‐11. Further research is needed on the implications of these results for prevention and treatment. (Am J Addict 2014;23:145–155)
Pricing Standardized Mortality Securitizations: A Two‐Population Model With Transitory Jump Effects
Authors: Zhou Rui , Li Johnny Siu‐Hang , Tan Ken Seng
Published: August 2013

Abstract

Mortality dynamics are subject to jumps that are due to events such as wars and pandemics. Such jumps can have a significant impact on prices of securities that are designed for hedging catastrophic mortality risk, and therefore should be taken into account in modeling. Although several single‐population mortality models with jump effects have been developed, they are not adequate for modeling trades in which the hedger's population is different from the population associated with the security being traded. In this article, we first develop a two‐population mortality model with transitory jump effects, and then we use the proposed model and an economic‐pricing framework to examine how mortality jumps may affect the supply and demand of mortality‐linked securities.
The explanatory power of biogeographical patterns: a reply to de Bruynet al
Authors: Parenti Lynne R. , Ebach Malte C.
Published: August 2013

Confusion between evidence and hypothesis in biogeographical studies was the focus of our recent Guest Editorial (Parenti & Ebach, 2013,Journal of Biogeography,40, 813–820). That editorial was critiqued by de Bruynet al. (2013,Journal of Biogeography, doi: 10.1111/jbi.12166) to whom we reply briefly here. Despite our shared goals – to understand what lives where and why – we argue from different philosophical premises. Although we may have little common ground, such debate encourages the good health of the field of biogeography.
High density of tryptase‐positive mast cells in human colorectal cancer: a poor prognostic factor related to protease‐activated receptor 2 expression
Authors: Malfettone Andrea , Silvestris Nicola , Saponaro Concetta , Ranieri Girolamo , Russo Antonio , Caruso Stefano , Popescu Ondina , Simone Giovanni , Paradiso Angelo , Mangia Anita
Published: August 2013

Tryptase(+) mast cells (MCs), abundant in the invasive front of tumours, contribute to tissue remodelling. Indeed, protease‐activated receptor‐2 (PAR‐2) activation by MC‐tryptase is considered an oncogenic event in colorectal cancer (CRC). Recently, we have suggested NHERF1 as a potential new marker in CRC. In this study, we aimed to determine the distribution of tryptase(+) MCs and PAR‐2 and to examine the relationship between PAR‐2 and NHERF1, investigating their reputed usefulness as tumour markers. We studied a cohort of 115 CRC specimens including primary cancer (C) and adjacent normal mucosa (NM) by immunohistochemical double staining, analyzing the protein expression of MC‐tryptase, PAR‐2 and cytoplasmic NHERF1. MC density was higher in NM than in C. Tumours with high TNM stage and poor grade showed the highest MC density. A higher PAR‐2 immunoreactivity characterized tumours most infiltrated by MCs compared with samples with low MC density. Furthermore, PAR‐2 overexpression was associated with advanced TNM stage, poor grade and lymphovascular invasion (LVI). A positive correlation existed between tryptase(+) MC density and PAR‐2 expression. Cytoplasmic NHERF1 was higher in C than in NM and overexpressing tumours resulted associated with nodal and distant metastases, poor grade and LVI. PAR‐2 correlated with cytoplasmic NHERF1 and the PAR‐2(+)/cytoplasmic NHERF1(+) expression immunophenotype identified tumours associated with unfavourable prognosis and aggressive clinical parameters. Our data indicate that the high density of tryptase(+) MCs at invasive margins of tumours was associated with advanced stages of CRC and was strongly correlated with PAR‐2 expression.
Assessment of vibratory sensation with a tuning fork at different sites in Japanese patients with diabetes mellitus
Authors: Takahara Mitsuyoshi , Fujiwara Yuko , Sakamoto Fumie , Katakami Naoto , Matsuoka Taka‐aki , Kaneto Hideaki , Shimomura Iichiro
Published: August 2013

The current study compared the vibratory sensations at different sites, using a retrospective database of 547 Japanese diabetic patients. The vibratory sensation was assessed with a 128‐Hz tuning fork at the medial malleolus, the great toe and the fifth toe. The vibratory sensations at different sites were significantly associated with one another (all P < 0.01). The vibratory sensation at one site corresponding to 10 s at another site was calculated to be 9–11 s. Although the vibratory sensations at the three sites had different associations with the pressure sensation and the ankle reflex, they showed similar C‐statistics for the impaired pressure sensation and the disappeared ankle reflex. In conclusion, the vibratory sensations at different sites were strongly associated with one another. They would be clinically acceptable alternatives to one another in the assessment of diabetic peripheral neuropathy.
Role of insulin receptor substrate‐1 for diethylnitrosamine plus high‐fat diet‐induced hepatic tumorigenesis in mice
Authors: Zolzaya Khadbaatar , Nakamura Akinobu , Tajima Kazuki , Terauchi Yasuo
Published: August 2013

We investigated the role of insulin receptor substrate (Irs)‐1 for diethylnitrosamine (DEN) plus high‐fat (HF) diet‐induced hepatic tumorigenesis in mice. We gave DEN by intraperitoneal injection at the dose of 80 mg/kg to 18‐week‐old wild‐type (WT) and Irs1‐knockout (Irs1−/−) mice, which were fed a HF diet from 8 weeks‐of‐age until they were killed (52 weeks). The Irs1−/− mice showed significantly lower plasma alanine aminotransferase levels, triglyceride contents in the liver and also lower expression levels of the genes encoding inflammatory cytokines than the WT mice. The incidence of DEN plus HF diet‐induced hepatic tumors was 71.4% in the WT mice, whereas it was just 14.3% in the Irs1−/− mice. The present study showed that Irs1 played an important role in DEN plus HF diet‐induced hepatic tumorigenesis.
Nectar sugar composition of European Caryophylloideae (Caryophyllaceae) in relation to flower length, pollination biology and phylogeny
Authors: Witt T. , Jürgens A. , Gottsberger G.
Published: August 2013

Floral nectar composition has been explained as an adaptation to factors that are either directly or indirectly related to pollinator attraction. However, it is often unclear whether the sugar composition is a direct adaptation to pollinator preferences. Firstly, the lower osmolality of sucrose solutions means that they evaporate more rapidly than hexose solutions, which might be one reason why sucrose‐rich nectar is typically found in flowers with long tubes (adapted to long‐tongued pollinators), where it is better protected from evaporation than in open or short‐tubed flowers. Secondly, it can be assumed that temperature‐dependent evaporation is generally lower during the night than during the day so that selection pressure to secrete nectar with high osmolality (i.e. hexose‐rich solutions) is relaxed for night‐active flowers pollinated at night. Thirdly, the breeding system may affect selection pressure on nectar traits; that is, for pollinator‐independent, self‐pollinated plants, a lower selective pressure on nectar traits can be assumed, leading to a higher variability of nectar sugar composition independent of pollinator preferences, nectar accessibility and nectar protection. To analyse the relations between flower tube length, day vs. night pollination and self‐pollination, the nectar sugar composition was investigated in 78 European Caryophylloideae (Caryophyllaceae) with different pollination modes (diurnal, nocturnal, self‐pollination) using high‐performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). All Caryophylleae species (Dianthus and relatives) were found to have nectar with more than 50% sucrose, whereas the sugar composition of Sileneae species (Silene and relatives) ranged from 0% to 98.2%. In the genus Silene, a clear dichotomous distribution of sucrose‐ and hexose‐dominant nectars is evident. We found a positive correlation between the flower tube length and sucrose content in Caryophylloideae, particularly in day‐flowering species, using both conventional analyses and phylogenetically independent contrasts.
Pharmacokinetics and residue depletion of erythromycin in gilthead sea bream Sparus aurata L. after oral administration
Authors: Di Salvo A , Pellegrino R M , Cagnardi P , della Rocca G
Published: August 2013

Erythromycin (ERY) is an antibiotic effective against Streptococcus iniae, a microorganism responsible for significant losses in aquaculture. No data are available on the pharmacokinetics and residue depletion of ERY in sea bream. The aim of this study was thus to evaluate the pharmacokinetics of ERY in this species after a single oral administration at 75 mg kg−1 b.w. and to assess its residue depletion from tissues after prolonged treatment for 10 days. ERY was rapidly absorbed in sea bream (Cmax = 10.04 μg g−1 and Tmax=1 h), with a half‐life of 9.35 h and an AUC0–24 of 56.81 (h μg mL−1). The data obtained and the evaluation of pharmacokinetic/pharmacodynamic parameters allowed us to hypothesize that dosage used in this study should be effective against S. iniae. A rapid reduction in erythromycin concentrations was observed in tissues, with the drug being detectable only during the first day post‐treatment. In Europe, the use of ERY in aquaculture is allowed by off‐label prescription with a withdrawal time of 500 °C day−1. The absence of ERY residues in tissues already at 24 h post‐treatment suggests that ERY in sea bream should not pose human food safety issues.
A mobile health intervention for weight management among young adults: a pilot randomised controlled trial
Authors: Hebden L. , Cook A. , van der Ploeg H. P. , King L. , Bauman A. , Allman‐Farinelli M.
Published: August 2013

Background

Today's generation of young adults are gaining weight faster than their parents; however, there remains insufficient evidence to inform interventions to prevent this weight gain. Mobile phones are a popular means of communication that may provide a convenient, inexpensive means to deliver health intervention programmes. This pilot study aimed to measure the effect of a 12‐week mobile health (mHealth) intervention on body weight, body mass index and specific lifestyle behaviours addressed by the programme.

Methods

University students and staff aged 18–35 years (n = 51) were randomised (ratio 1 : 1, intervention : control). Both groups received a printed diet booklet with instructions prepared by a dietitian. The intervention group also received Short Message Service (SMS) text messages (four per week), e‐mails (four per week), and had access to smartphone applications and Internet forums.

Results

Pre‐ to post‐intervention, participants in the intervention group decreased their body weight [mean (SD)] [−1.6 (2.6) kg], increased their light intensity activity [34 (35) min day−1] and reported an increased vegetable (1.0 median serving day−1) and decreased sugar‐sweetened beverage intake [−355 (836) mL week−1]. Despite this, post‐intervention changes in outcomes were not significantly different from controls.

Conclusions

The piloted mHealth programme provided some short‐term positive changes in weight, nutrition and physical activity using a low cost, convenient delivery method for this population. However, changes were no different from those observed among controls. This might partly be explained by intervention participants' low engagement with the programme, which is likely to require further modification to provide more regular, personalised, monitored support.
Transfer Pricing Rules, OECD Guidelines, and Market Distortions
Authors: BEHRENS KRISTIAN , PERALT SUSANA , PICARD PIERRE M.
Published: August 2013

We study the impact of transfer pricing rules on prices, firms' organizational structure, and consumers' utility in a two‐country monopolistic competition model with source‐based profit taxes. Firms can either be multinationals and serve the foreign market through a fully controlled affiliate, or be exporters and serve the foreign market by contracting with an independent distributor. The use of the OECD's comparable uncontrolled transfer price (CUP) rule distorts firms' output and pricing decisions, because the comparable arm's length transactions between exporters and distributors—which serve as the benchmark—are not efficient. We show that the CUP rule is detrimental to consumers in the low‐tax country, yet benefits consumers in the high‐tax country when compared to the benchmark of unconstrained profit shifting. Using the OECD rule increases tax revenue at the expense of consumer surplus. Those results also hold under the alternative cost‐plus transfer pricing rule.
Boric acid inhibits alveolar bone loss in rats by affecting RANKL and osteoprotegerin expression
Authors: Sağlam M. , Hatipoğlu M. , Köseoğlu S. , Esen H. H. , Kelebek S.
Published: August 2013

Background and Objective

The goal of the present study was to evaluate the effects of systemic boric acid on the levels of expression of RANKL and osteoprotegerin (OPG) and on histopathologic and histometric changes in a rat periodontitis model.

Material and Methods

Twenty‐four Wistar rats were divided into three groups of eight animals each: nonligated (NL); ligature only (LO); and ligature plus treatment with boric acid (BA) (3 mg/kg per day for 11 d). A 4/0 silk suture was placed in a subgingival position around the mandibular right first molars; after 11 d the rats were killed, and alveolar bone loss in the first molars was histometrically determined. Periodontal tissues were examined histopathologically to assess the differences among the study groups. RANKL and OPG were detected immunohistochemically.

Results

Alveolar bone loss was significantly higher in the LO group than in the BA and NL groups (p < 0.05). The number of inflammatory infiltrate and osteoclasts in the LO group was significantly higher than that in the NL and BA groups (p < 0.05). The numbers of osteoblasts in LO and BA groups were significantly higher compared with NL group (p < 0.05). There were significantly more RANKL‐positive cells in the LO group than in the BA and NL groups (p < 0.05). There was a higher number of OPG‐positive cells in the BA group than in the LO and NL groups (p < 0.05).

Conclusion

The present study shows that systemic administration of boric acid may reduce alveolar bone loss by affecting the RANKL/OPG balance in periodontal disease in rats.
Derivative claims and ratification: time to ditch some baggage
Authors: Riley Christopher A
Published: August 2013

The reform of the common law ‘derivative action’, by the statutory ‘derivative claim’ in Pt 11 of the Companies Act 2006, was long overdue. Many of the common law's most intractable problems, however, lay not with the derivative action itself, but rather with the law governing the ratification of breaches of duty. The source of many of these problems lay in the distinction the law sought to draw between fraudulent and non-fraudulent breaches, and the different consequences attached to each category of wrongdoing. The Companies Act 2006 was a timely opportunity at least to resolve the confusion within the law, and ideally to adopt what has been termed a ‘voting based’ approach to ratification. Sadly, the Act did neither, preferring instead to retain the common law largely untouched. Moreover, as a careful analysis of the Act itself shows, the modest changes it did introduce necessarily preserve the common law's distinction between fraud and non-fraud, and the uncertainty to which this gives rise. The paper concludes with an examination of Franbar Holdings v Patel, which illustrates clearly the shortcomings in the law's limited reforms.
Population genetic analyses provide insights on the introduction pathway and spread patterns of the North American forest pathogen Heterobasidion irregulare in Italy
Authors: Garbelotto M. , Guglielmo F. , Mascheretti S. , Croucher P. J. P. , Gonthier P.
Published: August 2013

A population genetics approach is used to identify the most likely introduction site and introduction pathway for the North American forest pathogen Heterobasidion irregulare using 101 isolates from six sites in Italy and 34 isolates from five sites in North America. Diversity indices based on sequences from ten loci indicate the highest diversity in Italy is found in Castelfusano/Castelporziano and that diversity progressively decreases with increasing distance from that site. AMOVA, Bayesian clustering and principal coordinates analyses based on 12 SSR loci indicate high levels of gene flow among sites, high frequency of admixing, and fail to identify groups of genotypes exclusive to single locations. Cumulatively, these analyses suggest the current infestation is the result of multiple genotypes expanding their range from a single site. Based on two sequenced loci, a single source site in North America could provide enough variability to explain the variability observed in Italy. These results support the notion that H. irregulare was introduced originally in Castelporziano: because Castelporziano has been sealed off from the rest of the world for centuries except for a camp set up by the US military in 1944, we conclude the fungus may have been transported in infected wood used by the military. Finally, spatial autocorrelation analyses using SSR data indicate a significant under‐dispersion of alleles up to 0.5–10 km, while a significant overdispersion of alleles was detected at distances over 80 km: these ranges can be used to make predictions on the likely dispersal potential of the invasive pathogen.
Parallel and nonparallel genome‐wide divergence among replicate population pairs of freshwater and anadromousAtlantic salmon
Authors: Perrier Charles , Bourret Vincent , Kent Matthew P. , Bernatchez Louis
Published: August 2013

Little is known about the genetic basis differentiating resident and anadromous forms found in many salmonid species. Using a medium‐densitySNParray, we documented genomic diversity and divergence at 2336 genetically mapped loci among three pairs of North American anadromous and freshwater Atlantic salmon populations. Our results show that across the genome, freshwater populations have lower diversity and a smaller proportion of private polymorphism relative to anadromous populations. Moreover, differentiation was more pronounced among freshwater than among anadromous populations at multiple spatial scales, suggesting a large effect of genetic drift in these isolated freshwater populations. Using nonhierarchical and hierarchical genome scans, we identified hundreds of markers spread across the genome that are potentially under divergent selection between anadromous and freshwater populations, but few outlier loci were repeatedly found in all three freshwater–anadromous comparisons. Similarly, a sliding window analysis revealed numerous regions of high divergence that were nonparallel among the three comparisons. These last results show little evidence for the parallel evolution of alleles selected for in freshwater populations, but suggest nonparallel adaptive divergence at many loci of small effects distributed through the genome. Overall, this study emphasizes the important role of genetic drift in driving genome‐wide reduction in diversity and divergence in freshwater Atlantic salmon populations and suggests a complex multigenic basis of adaptation to resident and anadromous strategies with little parallelism.
Characterization of human, mouse, and rat cultures of enteric glial cells and their effect on intestinal epithelial cells
Authors: Soret R. , Coquenlorge S. , Cossais F. , Meurette G. , Rolli‐Derkinderen M. , Neunlist M.
Published: August 2013

Background

Enteric glial cells (EGC) are major regulators of neuronal and intestinal epithelial cell (IEC) functions. Simple isolation methods of EGC, especially human tissues, remain scarce and limit their study. We present herein a method to isolate EGC and we characterize EGC phenotype and their functional impact on IEC.

Methods

Longitudinal muscle and myenteric plexus preparations of rat, mouse, or human intestine were obtained by microdissection. After mechanical and enzymatic dissociation, individual ganglionic or interganglionic structures were seeded into plates, maintained in culture several weeks and passaged up to 4 times. Purity of cultures was assessed by immunocytochemistry using antibodies against glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP), S100β and Sox10 or smooth muscle actin. Effects of adenosine triphosphate (ATP) on intracellular Ca2+ signaling in EGC were studied. Co‐cultures of EGC with IEC line, Caco‐2, were performed for 2–6 days to analyze their impact on monolayer resistance, cell proliferation, and cell spreading.

Key Results

More than 80% of DAPI‐positive cells were GFAP, S100β, and Sox10‐immunoreactive. EGC expressed these glial markers over 4 consecutive passages, and the majority of them responded to ATP by an increase in intracellular Ca2+ concentration. In addition, rat, mouse, and human EGC increased intestinal barrier resistance, IEC size, and reduced IEC number.

Conclusions & Inferences

We have developed a simple method to isolate and culture human, rat, or mouse EGC. EGC exhibit similar functional properties on the intestinal barrier independently of the species. This study sets the basis for exploring glial biology and functions in human health and diseases.
Characterization of symptoms in irritable bowel syndrome with mixed bowel habit pattern
Authors: Su A. M. , Shih W. , Presson A. P. , Chang L.
Published: August 2013

Background

Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) with mixed bowel habits (IBS‐M) is a heterogeneous subtype with varying symptoms of constipation and diarrhea, and has not been well characterized. We aimed to characterize gastrointestinal (GI) and non‐GI symptoms in IBS‐M patients from a US patient population, and to compare them with IBS with constipation (IBS‐C) and diarrhea (IBS‐D).

Methods

Subjects answering community advertisements and meeting Rome III criteria for IBS completed symptom questionnaires.

Key Results

Of the initial 289 IBS patients identified, one third (n = 51, 32.5%) who met Rome III criteria for IBS‐M endorsed having either loose stools or hard stools due to medication. These patients had more severe symptoms and longer duration of flares compared to the rest of the IBS‐M group (p = 0.014, p = 0.005). Excluding IBS‐M patients with medication‐related extremes in stool form who could not be reclassified by medical history, 247 IBS patients were assessed. IBS‐M was the most common (44.1%), followed by IBS‐C (27.9%), IBS‐D (26.3%), and IBS‐U (unsubtyped, 1.6%). While IBS‐M shared symptoms with both IBS‐C and IBS‐D, there were significant differences in the prevalence of bowel habit symptoms (p‐value range: <0.001–0.002). IBS‐M patients reported most bothersome symptoms that were more similar to IBS‐D, with the most common being irregular bowel habits (27.5%), bloating (26.6%), and abdominal pain (20.2%). There were no differences in non‐GI symptoms between subtypes.

Conclusions & Inferences

IBS‐M is a heterogeneous symptom group and thus requires that subclassification criteria be better defined. Use of laxative/antidiarrheal medications adds to the diagnostic complexity in a potentially more severe subset of IBS‐M and should be assessed for accurate subclassification.
Proton pump inhibitor responders who are not confirmed as GERD patients with impedance and pH monitoring: who are they?
Authors: de Bortoli N. , Martinucci I. , Savarino E. , Bellini M. , Bredenoord A. J. , Franchi R. , Bertani L. , Furnari M. , Savarino V. , Blandizzi C. , Marchi S.
Published: August 2013

Background

A short‐course of proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) is often used to confirm gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD). However, some patients with PPI responsive heartburn do not seem to have evidence of GERD on impedance‐pH monitoring (MII‐pH). The aim of the study was to evaluate patients with reflux symptoms and a negative endoscopy, who well respond to PPIs with MII‐pH.

Methods

We enrolled 312 patients with GERD symptoms and negative endoscopy: 144 reported well‐controlled symptoms after 8‐week PPIs and 155 were non‐responders. Symptom relief was evaluated with GERD Impact Scale and visual analog scale score. All patients underwent MII‐pH off‐therapy. Thirteen patients were excluded from analysis. Patients were grouped as follows: non‐erosive reflux disease (NERD; increased acid exposure time, AET); hypersensitive esophagus (HE; normal AET, positive symptom association, SI/SAP); MII‐pH‐/PPI+ (normal AET, negative SI/SAP) in the responder group; MII‐pH‐/PPI‐ in non‐responders.

Key Results

MII‐pH in PPI responders (symptom relief during PPI therapy > 75%) showed: 79/144 NERD (54.9%); 37/144 HE (25.7%); 28/144 MII‐pH‐/PPI+ (19.4%). MII‐pH‐/PPI+ patients reported the same symptom relief when compared with NERD and HE. In non‐responder (symptom relief during PPI therapy < 50%) group, 27/155 patients were NERD (17.4%); 53/155 were HE (34.2%); 75/155 were MII‐pH‐/PPI‐ (48.4%). NERD diagnosis was significantly higher in responder group (p < 0.01).

Conclusions & Inferences

In a substantial subgroup of patients responding to PPI with typical reflux symptoms, the diagnosis of GERD cannot be confirmed with pH‐impedance monitoring. Proton pump inhibitor response and presence of typical symptoms are thus not reliable predictors of the diagnosis and antireflux surgery should always be preceded by reflux monitoring.
Obesity and thyroid cancer: epidemiologic associations and underlying mechanisms
Authors: Pazaitou‐Panayiotou K. , Polyzos S. A. , Mantzoros C. S.
Published: August 2013

The incidence of thyroid cancer has been rising over the past few decades along with a parallel increase in obesity.

Observational studies have provided evidence for a potential association between the two. By contrast, clinical data for a link between type 2 diabetes mellitus, a condition strongly associated with obesity, and thyroid cancer are limited and largely not supportive of such an association.

Obesity leads to hypoadiponectinemia, a pro‐inflammatory state, and insulin resistance, which, in turn, leads to high circulating insulin and insulin‐like growth factor‐1 levels, thereby possibly increasing the risk for thyroid cancer. Thus, insulin resistance possibly plays a pivotal role in underlying the observed association between obesity and thyroid cancer, potentially leading to the development and/or progression of thyroid cancer, through its interconnections with other factors including insulin‐like growth factor‐1, adipocytokines/cytokines and thyroid‐stimulating hormone.

In this review, epidemiological and clinical evidence and potential mechanisms underlying the proposed association between obesity and thyroid cancer risk are reviewed. If the association between obesity and thyroid cancer demonstrated in observational studies proves to be causal, targeting obesity (and/or downstream mediators of risk) could be of importance in the prevention and management of thyroid cancer.
Increased anthocyanin content in purple pericarp × blue aleurone wheat crosses
Authors: Syed Jaafar Sharifah N. , Baron Johanna , Siebenhandl‐Ehn Susanne , Rosenau Thomas , Böhmdorfer Stefan , Grausgruber Heinrich
Published: August 2013

Due to their antioxidant activity, anthocyanins are of increasing interest for nutritionists, food scientists and plant breeders. Anthocyanins in wheat grains are expressed in either the pericarp or aleurone layer. Previous studies revealed that different anthocyanins are present in wheat varieties carrying genes for either the purple pericarp or the blue aleurone trait. Progeny from crosses between red‐, purple‐ and blue‐grained wheat varieties were selected over several cycles for grain colour by visual scoring. Bulked F5 grains were evaluated for their total anthocyanin content by UV‐VIS spectrophotometry and HPLC‐MS. The results demonstrate that it is possible to increase the anthocyanin content by the combination of the different genetic backgrounds for purple pericarp and blue aleurone, even though the majority of progeny were within the range of the purple‐ and blue‐grained check varieties. Visual scoring for grain colour is efficient, reliable and fast for selection in early breeding generations. Advanced breeding lines with high anthocyanin content can be identified by simple extraction methods and spectrophotometric measurements.
Colonization of lettuce cultivars and rotation crops by Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. lactucae, the cause of fusarium wilt of lettuce
Authors: Scott J. C. , McRoberts D. N. , Gordon T. R.
Published: August 2013

The severity of fusarium wilt is affected by inoculum density in soil, which is expected to decline during intervals when a non‐susceptible crop is grown. However, the anticipated benefits of crop rotation may not be realized if the pathogen can colonize and produce inoculum on a resistant cultivar or rotation crop. The present study documented colonization of roots of broccoli, cauliflower and spinach by Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. lactucae, the cause of fusarium wilt of lettuce. The frequency of infection was significantly lower on all three rotation crops than on a susceptible lettuce cultivar, and the pathogen was restricted to the cortex of roots of broccoli. However, F. oxysporum f. sp. lactucae was isolated from the root vascular stele of 7·4% of cauliflower plants and 50% of spinach plants that were sampled, indicating a greater potential for colonization and production of inoculum on these crops. The pathogen was also recovered from the root vascular stele of five fusarium wilt‐resistant lettuce cultivars. Thus, disease‐resistant plants may support growth of the pathogen and thereby contribute to an increase in soil inoculum density. Cultivars that were indistinguishable based on above‐ground symptoms, differed significantly in the extent to which they were colonized by F. oxysporum f. sp. lactucae. Less extensively colonized cultivars may prove to be superior sources of resistance to fusarium wilt for use in breeding programmes.
Evidence for a new introduction of the pitch canker fungus Fusarium circinatum in South Africa
Authors: Steenkamp E. T. , Makhari O. M. , Coutinho T. A. , Wingfield B. D. , Wingfield M. J.
Published: August 2013

Fusarium circinatum causes pitch canker of Pinus species in many parts of the world. The fungus was first recorded in South Africa in 1990 as a pathogen of P. patula seedlings and emerged later as a pathogen of established plantation trees, especially P. radiata in the Western Cape Province (WCP). In this study the population biology of F. circinatum in the WCP was explored. The aim was to determine the possible origin and reproductive mode of the pathogen, with the ultimate intention of informing disease management strategies in the region. Vegetative compatibility assays, sexual mating studies and amplified fragment length polymorphism analyses were used. For comparative purposes, an isolate collection obtained from diseased P. radiata seedlings in a commercial nursery in the region, as well as a set of isolates from commercial seedling nurseries in the central and northern parts of South Africa, were included. The results showed that the WCP population of F. circinatum employs a predominantly asexual mode of reproduction and that it is highly differentiated from populations of the fungus elsewhere in South Africa. However, limited genetic structure was found within the respective WCP isolate collections. Overall these findings suggest that pitch canker in the WCP originates from one or more separate introductions of the pathogen and that its movement in the region is not restricted. More effective strategies are thus required to limit and manage the effects of F. circinatum in plantations in this region of South Africa.
Zoospore chemotaxis of closely related legume‐root infecting Phytophthora species towards host isoflavones
Authors: Hosseini S. , Heyman F. , Olsson U. , Broberg A. , Funck Jensen D. , Karlsson M.
Published: August 2013

Phytophthora niederhauserii, P. pisi, P. sojae and P. vignae are closely related species that are pathogenic to various legume plants. While P. sojae and P. vignae are reported to specifically infect soybean and cowpea, respectively, P. pisi is reported to attack pea and faba bean. Phytophthora niederhauserii is considered to have a broad host range. Zoospores of some Phytophthora species are chemotactically attracted to the isoflavones that are secreted by their host plants. The focus of the current study was to determine the chemotaxic behaviour of zoospores from closely related legume‐root infecting Phytophthora species and to investigate the correlation, if any, to host preference as determined by greenhouse pathogenicity tests. The results showed that P. sojae and P. vignae were attracted to the non‐soybean isoflavone prunetin as well as to the soybean isoflavones genistein and daidzein, which is in contrast with their host specificity on soybean and cowpea, respectively. On the other hand, P. pisi and P. niederhauserii were only attracted to prunetin, previously reported to be produced by pea, but not to the isoflavones associated with the non‐host soybean. The lack of responsiveness to genistein and daidzein in P. pisi may represent a recent adaptation to the host specialization towards pea. However, the affinity of P. niederhauserii to prunetin shows that this trait can also be present in taxa not specifically associated with legume hosts.
Inoculation of selenium hyperaccumulator Stanleya pinnata and related non‐accumulator Stanleya elata with hyperaccumulator rhizosphere fungi—investigation of effects on Se accumulation and speciation
Authors: Lindblom Stormy Dawn , Fakra Sirine C. , Landon Jessica , Schulz Paige , Tracy Ben , Pilon‐Smits Elizabeth A. H.
Published: August 2013

Little is known about how fungi affect elemental accumulation in hyperaccumulators (HAs). Here, two rhizosphere fungi from selenium (Se) HA Stanleya pinnata, Alternaria seleniiphila (A1) and Aspergillus leporis (AS117), were used to inoculate S. pinnata and related non‐HA Stanleya elata. Growth and Se and sulfur (S) accumulation were analyzed. Furthermore, X‐ray microprobe analysis was used to investigate elemental distribution and speciation. Growth of S. pinnata was not affected by inoculation or by Se. Stanleya elata growth was negatively affected by AS117 and by Se, but combination of both did not reduce growth. Selenium translocation was reduced in inoculated S. pinnata, and inoculation reduced S translocation in both species. Root Se distribution and speciation were not affected by inoculation in either species; both species accumulated mainly (90%) organic Se. Sulfur, in contrast, was present equally in organic and inorganic forms in S. pinnata roots. Thus, these rhizosphere fungi can affect growth and Se and/or S accumulation, depending on host species. They generally enhanced root accumulation and reduced translocation. These effects cannot be attributed to altered plant Se speciation but may involve altered rhizosphere speciation, as these fungi are known to produce elemental Se. Reduced Se translocation may be useful in applications where toxicity to herbivores and movement of Se into the food chain is a concern. The finding that fungal inoculation can enhance root Se accumulation may be useful in Se biofortification or phytoremediation using root crop species.
Shoulder Structure and Function Following the Modified Latarjet Procedure: A Clinical and Radiological Review
Authors: Garewal Devinder , Evans Mathew , Taylor David , Hoy Gregory A. , Barwood Shane , Connell David
Published: August 2013

Background

To evaluate the clinical and radiological outcomes of the modified Latarjet procedure for traumatic, antero-inferior glenohumeral joint instability.

Methods

Case series were used with a mean follow-up of 21.3 months for clinical and radiological review and 47.2 months for recurrent instability. Shoulder function was evaluated by clinical examination and validated shoulder scales: Western Ontario Shoulder Stability Index (WOSI), Melbourne Instability Shoulder Score (MISS) and l'Insalata Shoulder Questionnaire. Shoulder structure was evaluated by computed tomography.

Results

Thirty-two cases were enrolled (mean age 27.0 years). One patient reported a redislocation during the follow-up period. Clinical examination revealed that the median external rotation (at 0° and 90° abduction) was reduced on the operative side by 7.5° ( p < 0.01) and 10° ( p < 0.001), respectively. Subjective shoulder function was good. Mean (SD) scores on the WOSI, MISS and l'Insalata scales were 78.0 (19.7), 75.8 (11.5) and 89.3 (9.9), respectively. No loss of subscapularis strength was identified ( p > 0.05). Radiological evaluation revealed a mean (SD) pre-operative glenoid surface area loss of 169.5 (48.5) mm2 reconstituted surgically by a bone block of 225.4 (73.8) mm2. Subscapularis muscle bulk was reduced on the operative side, above the level of the muscle split ( p < 0.05).

Conclusions

The Latarjet procedure reliably restores lost glenoid surface area, shoulder stability, strength and function. A small loss of external rotation is expected and related to altered subscapularis anatomy.
Regulation of cell divisions and differentiation by MALE STERILITY32 is required for anther development in maize
Authors: Moon Jihyun , Skibbe David , Timofejeva Ljudmilla , Wang Chung‐Ju Rachel , Kelliher Timothy , Kremling Karl , Walbot Virginia , Cande William Zacheus
Published: August 2013

Male fertility in flowering plants relies on proper division and differentiation of cells in the anther, a process that gives rise to four somatic layers surrounding central germinal cells. The maize gene male sterility32 (ms32) encodes a basic helix–loop–helix (bHLH) transcription factor, which functions as an important regulator of both division and differentiation during anther development. After the four somatic cell layers are generated properly through successive periclinal divisions, in the ms32 mutant, tapetal precursor cells fail to differentiate, and, instead, undergo additional periclinal divisions to form extra layers of cells. These cells become vacuolated and expand, and lead to failure in pollen mother cell development. ms32 expression is specific to the pre‐meiotic anthers and is distributed initially broadly in the four lobes, but as the anther develops, its expression becomes restricted to the innermost somatic layer, the tapetum. The ms32‐ref mac1‐1 double mutant is unable to form tapetal precursors and also exhibits excessive somatic proliferation leading to numerous, disorganized cell layers, suggesting a synergistic interaction between ms32 and mac1. Altogether, our results show that MS32 is a major regulator in maize anther development that promotes tapetum differentiation and inhibits periclinal division once a tapetal cell is specified.
Comprehensive genotyping for 18 blood group systems using a multiplex ligation‐dependent probe amplification assay shows a high degree of accuracy
Authors: Haer‐Wigman Lonneke , Ji Yanli , Lodén Martin , de Haas Masja , van der Schoot C. Ellen , Veldhuisen Barbera
Published: August 2013

Background

In recent years genotyping methods have been implemented in blood banks as alternative to comprehensive serologic typing. We evaluated a newly developed assay for convenient and comprehensive genotyping of blood group alleles based on multiplex ligation‐dependent probe amplification (MLPA) technology.

Study Design and Methods

We analyzed 103 random and 150 selected samples to validate the specificity of the blood‐MLPA assay that is able to determine the presence, absence, and copy number of 48 blood group and 112 variant alleles of 18 blood group systems. A total of 4038 serologic typing results, including 52 different antigens, were available for these samples.

Results

In 4018 (99.5%) of the 4038 serologic typing results the predicted phenotypes by the blood‐MLPA were in concordance with serologic typing. Twenty discordant results were due to false‐positive serologic results (n = 2), false‐negative serologic results (n = 1), inability of routine serologic typing to detect variant antigens (n = 14), or false‐positive prediction from the blood‐MLPA due to the presence of a null allele (n = 3).

Conclusion

The blood‐MLPA reliably predicts the presence or absence of blood group antigens, including almost all clinically relevant blood group antigens, except ABO, in patients and donors. Furthermore, it is the first assay that determines copy numbers of blood group alleles in the same test. It even provides more detailed and accurate information than serologic typing, because most variant alleles are immediately recognized. Since only standard laboratory equipment is needed, this assay finally offers the possibility to comprehensively type recipients and makes extensive matching for selected patients groups more feasible.
Fabrication of transferrable, fully suspended silicon photonic crystal nanomembranes exhibiting vivid structural color and high-Q guided resonance
Authors: Lin Chenxi , Martínez Luis Javier , Povinelli Michelle L.
Published: August 2013

The authors report the fabrication and optical characterization of fully suspended, transferrable, and deflectable silicon photonic crystal nanomembranes. Starting with a silicon-on-insulator wafer, the authors used electron beam lithography and inductively coupled plasma reactive ion etching (ICP-RIE) to introduce various photonic crystal patterns in silicon. A membrane containing the photonic crystal patterns was then defined by photolithography combined with ICP-RIE and released from the handle wafer by wet chemical etching. Finally, a free-standing photonic crystal membrane was obtained by a wet transfer and alignment process over a perforated foreign substrate. In the fabricated structures, the authors observed vivid structural colors in dark-field optical images of square lattice photonic crystals and measured a guided resonance mode with a quality factor as high as 5600 in a novel slot-graphite photonic crystal.
An Inquiry into the Water Around Us
Authors: Saitta Erin K. H. , Legron-Rodriguez Tamra , Bowdon Melody A.
Published: August 2013

An Inquiry into the Water Around Us, an IBI prize–winning module, brings the college classroom into the community.
Nuclear Lamin-A Scales with Tissue Stiffness and Enhances Matrix-Directed Differentiation
Authors: Swift Joe , Ivanovska Irena L. , Buxboim Amnon , Harada Takamasa , Dingal P. C. Dave P. , Pinter Joel , Pajerowski J. David , Spinler Kyle R. , Shin Jae-Won , Tewari Manorama , Rehfeldt Florian , Speicher David W. , Discher Dennis E.
Published: August 2013

Lamins and Tissue Stiffness

Microenvironment can influence cell fate and behavior; for example, extracellular matrix (ECM) stiffness increases cell proliferation, and ECM rigidity induces disorders in tissue morphogenesis by increasing cell tension.

Swift
et al.

(
1240104
; see the Perspective by

Bainer and Weaver

) used proteomics to identify molecules that are mechanical sensors for tissue elasticity in the nucleus and discovered that expression of lamin-A levels apparently functions as a “mechanostat.”
Stretchable, Transparent, Ionic Conductors
Authors: Keplinger Christoph , Sun Jeong-Yun , Foo Choon Chiang , Rothemund Philipp , Whitesides George M. , Suo Zhigang
Published: August 2013

Hydrogel Stretch

A range of stretchable, conductive materials can be made either by making an electrical conductor more stretchable or by adding an electrical conductor to a stretchable material.

Keplinger
et al.

(p.
984
; see the Perspective by
Rogers
) have added to the possibilities of an alternative stretchable ionic conductor based on a hydrogel material used to make deformable devices that are fully transparent to light over the visible spectrum and that can withstand high voltages and high frequencies.