bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Medical Education to Improve Rural Population Health: A Chain of Evidence From Alabama
Authors: Wheat John R. , Coleman Veronica L. , Murphy Shannon , Turberville Caleb M. , Leeper James D.
Published: March 2015

Purpose

To provide evidence that medical education is associated with population health in order to support adaptation of medical school programs to address populations with health disparities. We explored medical education efforts, local physician supply, and life expectancy in Alabama.

Methods

County‐level public data of the number of students accepted to medical schools in 2008 and 2011, primary care physicians, life expectancy, and demographic/contextual variables were analyzed to develop a model for hypothesized associations. Correlational analysis, ANCOVA modeling, and path analysis were employed to identify, reduce, and organize significant variables in this cross‐sectional ecologic study.

Findings

The path model, which met criteria for goodness of fit, found significant relationships among medical students per 10,000 population, primary care physicians per 10,000 population, life expectancy, and contextual variables for rurality and poverty. ANCOVA models showed that geographic region was significant.

Conclusions

Within limitations of the study design, these findings support the proposition that the number of medical students produced in a county is related to the number of primary care physicians, which is related to life expectancy. Recommendations are to confirm the findings in other populations and inform public health policy concerning the utility of medical education to address population health by producing local medical students.
Cognitive, Psychophysical, and Neural Correlates of Vulvar Pain in Primary and Secondary Provoked Vestibulodynia: A Pilot Study
Authors: Sutton Katherine , Pukall Caroline , Wild Conor , Johnsrude Ingrid , Chamberlain Susan
Published: March 2015

Introduction

Provoked vestibulodynia (PVD) is a common condition characterized by localized, provoked pain that can be present since first vaginal penetration attempt (primary) or can develop after a period of pain-free penetration (secondary). Research has demonstrated psychosocial and psychophysical differences between women with these subtypes of PVD, but the question of whether neural responses to pain also differ remains to be investigated.

Aim

This study aims to examine whether cognitive, psychophysical, and neural responses to vulvar pressure pain differ between women with PVD1 and PVD2.

Methods

Women with PVD1 and PVD2 were compared for group differences using multiple modalities, including questionnaires, psychophysical testing, and neuroimaging. Pain ratings were held constant across groups, rather than amount of pressure applied.

Main Outcome Measures

Demographics, sexual functioning, four questionnaires examining anxiety and catastrophizing, quantitative sensory testing at the vulvar vestibule using a vulvalgesiometer, and functional and structural magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).

Results

Findings suggest that women with PVD1 are more anxious and that they catastrophize more about their vulvar and nonvulvar pain than women with PVD2. Overall, MRI results demonstrated structural and functional similarities to other chronic pain findings for both groups of women. Gray matter (GM) density also differed between groups: women with PVD1 showed significant decreases in GM throughout areas associated with pain processing. Functionally, between-groups differences were found during painful vulvar stimulation despite lower pressures applied to the vulva for women with PVD1 because of their heightened sensitivity; the determination of the level of vulvar pressure to elicit pain was based on subjective ratings.

Conclusions

Findings are limited by sample size and liberal alpha values; however, future research is certainly warranted based on the preliminary findings of this study suggesting both similarities and differences between PVD1 and PVD2. Overall, women with PVD1 seem to fare worse on several pain-related and psychosocial variables compared with women with PVD2.
Obstructive sleep apnea and risk of Parkinson's disease: a population‐based cohort study
Authors: Chen Jin‐Cherng , Tsai Tzung‐Yi , Li Chung‐Yi , Hwang Juen‐Haur
Published: March 2015

Sleep disorders could be associated with neurodegenerative diseases. This study aimed to determine the risk of Parkinson's disease in patients with obstructive sleep apnea. The incident cases of newly diagnosed obstructive sleep apnea were identified between 2000 and 2009 from the medical claims database of National Health Institute of Taiwan. The risk of Parkinson's disease onset at least 1 year after the diagnosis of obstructive sleep apnea was measured during and up to 11 years of period, compared to that of age‐ and gender‐matched controls estimated in the same period. A total of 5864 patients with newly diagnosed obstructive sleep apnea and 23 269 subjects without obstructive sleep apnea were identified for data analysis. The study reported that the incidence of Parkinson's disease in the obstructive sleep apnea cohort was approximately two times higher than that in the control cohort (2.57 versus 1.32 per 1000 person‐years), with an adjusted hazard ratio of 1.84. Furthermore, the risk of Parkinson's disease was particularly greater for the obstructive sleep apnea with insomnia subgroup (adjusted hazard ratio = 1.97, 95% confidence interval = 1.44–2.69) than for the control cohort. The sex–age‐specific analysis further discovered that the most elevated risk of Parkinson's disease onset was noted in female obstructive sleep apnea patients aged 50–69 years (adjusted hazard ratio = 2.82). This population‐based study indicated that patients with obstructive sleep apnea, especially those who suffered from insomnia, are at an increased risk of Parkinson's disease onset.
Pharmacogenetic testing in idiosyncratic drug‐induced liver injury: current role in clinical practice
Authors: Aithal Guruprasad P.
Published: March 2015

In contrast to the studies that have explored association of genetic variants with other complex traits, those investigating hepatotoxicity have identified risk alleles with substantially higher risk ratios for the susceptibility to drug‐induced liver injury (DILI). In addition, a relatively small number of human leukocyte antigen (HLA) alleles have overlapping associations with a variety of adverse reactions including DILI, cutaneous hypersensitivity and drug‐induced pancreatitis. However, if used as a test prior to prescription to prevent potential adverse reaction, genotyping would have a very high negative predictive value, yet a low positive predictive value based on the low incidence of DILI. One potential consideration is to treat all relevant HLA genotypes as one panel covering different forms of adverse drug reactions, thereby improving the positive predictive value of the panel and widen its application. The majority of HLA alleles associated with DILI have a very high negative predictive value; therefore, they can be used to rule out hepatotoxicity caused by particular drugs. A high negative predictive value of a genetic test can be used to identify the correct agent underlying DILI when the patient had been exposed to two concomitant medications with a potential to cause DILI. Inclusion of genetic tests in the causality assessment of an event, where DILI is suspected, may improve consistency and precision of causality assessment tools. A recent clinical trial used N‐acetyltransferase 2 genotyping to determine the appropriate dose of isoniazid in an anti‐tuberculosis therapeutic regimen and demonstrated that pharmacogenetic‐based clinical algorithms have the potential to improve efficacy of a drug and to reduce DILI.
Do Regularization Programs for Illegal Immigrants Have a Magnet Effect? Evidence from Spain
Authors: Larramona Gemma , Sanso‐Navarro Marcos
Published: March 2015

This paper attempts to determine whether regularization programs of illegal immigrants have a magnet effect. Using a comparative case study approach, we analyze the most recent amnesty implemented in Spain. More specifically, we apply a synthetic control method that is suitable for the evaluation of policies at the country level. Our results suggest that the increasing trend followed by the foreign population in the period analyzed is not a consequence of the amnesty under scrutiny. Rather, it corresponds to the path for a counterfactual country with similar socioeconomic characteristics.
Genomic analysis of a migratory divide reveals candidate genes for migration and implicates selective sweeps in generating islands of differentiation
Authors: Delmore Kira E. , Hübner Sariel , Kane Nolan C. , Schuster Richard , Andrew Rose L. , Câmara Francisco , Guigó Roderic , Irwin Darren E.
Published: March 2015

Differential gene flow, reductions in diversity following linked selection and/or features of the genome can structure patterns of genomic differentiation during the process of speciation. Possible sources of reproductive isolation are well studied between coastal and inland subspecies groups of Swainson's thrushes, with differences in seasonal migratory behaviour likely playing a key role in reducing hybrid fitness. We assembled and annotated a draft reference genome for this species and generated whole‐genome shotgun sequence data for populations adjacent to the hybrid zone between these groups. We documented substantial genomewide heterogeneity in relative estimates of genetic differentiation between the groups. Within population diversity was lower in areas of high relative differentiation, supporting a role for selective sweeps in generating this pattern. Absolute genetic differentiation was reduced in these areas, further suggesting that recurrent selective sweeps in the ancestral population and/or between divergent populations following secondary contact likely occurred. Relative genetic differentiation was also higher near centromeres and on the Z chromosome, suggesting that features of the genome also contribute to genomewide heterogeneity. Genes linked to migratory traits were concentrated in islands of differentiation, supporting previous suggestions that seasonal migration is under divergent selection between Swainson's thrushes. Differences in migratory behaviour likely play a central role in the speciation of many taxa; we developed the infrastructure here to permit future investigations into the role several candidate genes play in reducing gene flow between not only Swainson's thrushes but other species as well.
Rapid diversification associated with ecological specialization in NeotropicalAdelphabutterflies
Authors: Ebel Emily R. , DaCosta Jeffrey M. , Sorenson Michael D. , Hill Ryan I. , Briscoe Adriana D. , Willmott Keith R. , Mullen Sean P.
Published: March 2015

Rapid diversification is often associated with morphological or ecological adaptations that allow organisms to radiate into novel niches. NeotropicalAdelphabutterflies, which comprise over 200 species and subspecies, are characterized by extraordinary breadth in host plant use and wing colour patterns compared to their closest relatives. To examine the relationship between phenotypic and species diversification, we reconstructed the phylogenetic history ofAdelphaand its temperate sister genusLimenitisusing genomewide restriction‐site‐associatedDNA(RAD) sequencing. Despite a declining fraction of shared markers with increasing evolutionary distance, theRAD‐Seq data consistently generated well‐supported trees using a variety of phylogenetic methods. These well‐resolved phylogenies allow the identification of an ecologically important relationship with a toxic host plant family, as well as the confirmation of widespread, convergent wing pattern mimicry throughout the genus. Taken together, our results support the hypothesis that evolutionary innovations in both larvae and adults have permitted the colonization of novel host plants and fuelled adaptive diversification within this large butterfly radiation.
Hexokinase plays a critical role in deoxynivalenol (DON) production and fungal development in Fusarium graminearum
Authors: Zhang Leigang , Li Baicun , Zhang Yu , Jia Xiaojing , Zhou Mingguo
Published: March 2015

Fusarium graminearum, the causal agent of Fusarium head blight, is a common pathogen on small grain cereals worldwide and produces various trichothecenes [deoxynivalenol (DON) is predominant] during infection. A previous study has revealed that DON production is positively correlated with the occurrence of carbendazim (MBC) resistance. Here, we identified and characterized two putative genes encoding hexokinase in F. graminearum (FgHXK1 and FgHXK2), which is a rate‐limiting enzyme in DON biosynthesis. The expression level of hexokinase genes and the production of pyruvate, which is the precursor of DON, were up‐regulated in the MBC‐resistant strain, indicating that hexokinase genes might be involved in increased DON production. Phylogenetic and comparative analyses indicated that FgHXK1 was the predominant hexokinase gene. Gene disruption showed that ΔFgHXK1 severely affected DON production, indicating that FgHXK1 played a role in the regulation of DON biosynthesis. Morphological characterization showed that ΔFgHXK1 led to inhibited vegetative growth and conidiation. Sensitivity tests to MBC and various stresses indicated that both ΔFgHXK1 and ΔFgHXK2 mutants showed no significant difference from parental strains. Pathogencity assays showed that ΔFgHXK1 mutants lost virulence on wheat head and corn stigma; however, they showed no change in sexual reproduction. The FgHXK1‐overexpressing transformants were obtained subsequently. Their pyruvate and DON production was confirmed to be increased, indicating that FgHXK1 positively regulated DON biosynthesis. Although additional defects appeared in overexpression mutants, MBC sensitivity showed no change. All of the results indicated that the transcriptional level of FgHXK1 regulated DON biosynthesis, but showed no direct relationship with MBC resistance.
Molecular characterisation of clinical Cryptococcus neoformans and Cryptococcus gattii isolates from Sichuan province, China
Authors: Wu Si‐Ying , Lei Yao , Kang Mei , Xiao Yu‐Ling , Chen Zhi‐Xing
Published: March 2015

Previous reports on the molecular characteristics of clinical isolates of Cryptococcus species in China have focused on isolates from southeast China. To obtain a more detailed molecular epidemiology, a total of 92 cryptococcal isolates were collected from Sichuan province. A total of 24 isolates from 12 other provinces were collected for comparative study. Genotypes and mating types of 116 Cryptococcus isolates were determined. Among the 116 isolates, 43 isolates (19 isolates from Sichuan and 24 isolates outside of Sichuan) were analysed by multi‐locus sequence typing (MLST). All 116 clinical isolates were mating type α. Most isolates (114/116) were molecular type VNI and the remaining two isolates were VGI and VGII respectively. MLST results revealed five sequence types (STs) of C. neoformans including two novel STs, with most isolates identified as ST5. The two C. gattii isolates identified in our study were ST44 and ST159. Based on our report and previous studies, there are 15 C. neoformans STs in China which can be divided into three subgroups. The C. gattii isolate from Sichuan could be a scattered subtype of VGII (ST44). Our findings demonstrated that C. neoformans isolates in Sichuan are genetically homogeneous, and ST5 is the epidemic clone of C. neoformans in China.
Our 2015 approach to invasive pulmonary aspergillosis
Authors: Liss B. , Vehreschild J. J. , Bangard C. , Maintz D. , Frank K. , Grönke S. , Michels G. , Hamprecht A. , Wisplinghoff H. , Markiefka B. , Hekmat K. , Vehreschild M. J. G. T. , Cornely O. A.
Published: March 2015

At the University Hospital of Cologne, in general two patient groups at high risk for invasive aspergillosis receive posaconazole prophylaxis: Acute myelogenous leukaemia patients during remission induction chemotherapy and allogeneic haematopoietic stem cell transplant recipients. Other patients at risk undergo serum galactomannan testing three times weekly. At 72–96 h of persisting fever despite broad‐spectrum antibiotics, or at onset of lower respiratory tract symptoms a thoracic computed tomography (CT) scan is performed. Without lung infiltrates on CT, IPA is ruled out. In lung infiltrates not suggestive for IPA mycological confirmation is pursued. In patients without posaconazole prophylaxis empiric caspofungin will be considered. CT findings typical for IPA prompt targeted treatment, and mycological confirmation. Bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) is most important for cultural identification and susceptibility testing, and facilitates diagnosing other pathogens. BAL performance is virtually independent of platelet counts. If despite suggestive infiltrates BAL does not yield the diagnosis, CT‐guided biopsy follows as soon as platelet counts allow. Surgery can also be beneficial in diagnosis and treatment of IPA. If the diagnosis of IPA is not established, mucormycosis is a valid concern. In patients with breakthrough IPA during posaconazole prophylaxis liposomal amphotericin B is the drug of choice. If no posaconazole prophylaxis was given, voriconazole is the treatment of choice for IPA.
Hospital environment fungal contamination and aspergillosis risk in acute leukaemia patients in Sousse (Tunisia)
Authors: Gheith Soukeina , Ranque Stéphane , Bannour Wadiaa , Ben Youssef Yosra , Khelif Abderrahim , Ben Said Moncef , Njah Mansour , Saghrouni Fatma
Published: March 2015

Hospital environment is considered the main source of invasive aspergillosis (IA) in leukemic patients. This study aimed to describe Aspergillus colonisation in leukemic patients and their hospital environment and to test whether Aspergillus environmental contamination was associated with IA. For a 2‐year period including 14‐month renovation work, 91 acute leukaemia inpatients at the hematology department of University hospital in Sousse (Tunisia) were prospectively included. The incidence of probable IA (EORTC/MSG criteria) was 9.9%. Fifty‐six Aspergillus were isolated from 53 (6.5%) of 811 sputa collected from 35 (38.5%) patients. Aspergillus spp. were isolated in 59.7% of 494 air samples and in 52.8% of 1579 surface samples taken in the patients' room. Aspergillus section Nigri (72.7%) was the most frequent. Aspergillus contamination peaked in autumn and winter on surface and in summer and autumn in air samples and was higher (P = 0.03) during the renovation work period. Multivariate analysis showed that for each Aspergillus section Nigri CFU airborne contamination IA risk increased by 1.05 (P = 0.04). In Tunisia, Aspergillus section Nigri and Flavi, but not Fumigati, are chiefly involved in IA. Our findings support swift implementation of airborne fungal contamination control measures in areas where immunocompromised patient are hospitalised.
Millennium development goals (MDGs) and indigenous peoples' literacy in Cambodia: erosion of sovereignty?
Authors: Christie Ryerson
Published: March 2015

Nation‐building throughout Southeast Asia has been undertaken in contexts where minority groups, living on the margins of society, are being forced into recent state constructions, and have had their cultures eroded as a result. The Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) for education have provided international benchmarks for literacy. These have been adopted by the Cambodian state, and a number of donors and NGOs have funded and enacted policies with the explicit aim of improving the language skills of Cambodia's highland communities. However, these are being implemented in communities that do not speak Khmer (the Cambodian national language), and do not have indigenous systems of writing. Drawing on fieldwork in Cambodia, this paper argues that the impact of the MDGs has been to depoliticize an inherently contested terrain, and to ironically silence communities on fundamental issues by teaching them to read, write and speak the national language. This has limited their capacity to perform sovereignty by restricting the very voice they are entitled to speak.
Borders and banknotes: the national perspective
Authors: First Anat , Sheffi Na'ama
Published: March 2015

Replacing a banknotes series is meaningful for politicians and the general public even today, while most transactions are executed through virtual means. The choice of images carried on banknotes represents the limits of the State's sovereign border and becomes a means of banal nationalism. Moreover, by utilising scopic regimes, the hegemony portrays the cultural and political borders: historical figures from the country's past on one side, and an imagined or physical border, expressed through the illustrations on the back. This paper addresses the latter and examines the case of the State of Israel. The analysis of sites and landscapes that appear on national banknotes can decipher the construction process of a ‘territorial identity’ which, along with struggles for maintaining identity, provides the basis of the nation‐state. Using Williams's typology of selective tradition, we argue that Israeli banknotes demonstrate a mixture of residual and new cultural content.
‘Oh motherland I pledge to thee …’: a study into nationalism, gender and the representation of an imagined family within national anthems
Authors: Lauenstein Oliver , Murer Jeffrey S. , Boos Margarete , Reicher Stephen
Published: March 2015

In this paper, we argue that beyond understanding nations as imagined communities, the metaphor of an ‘imagined family’ or ‘filial community’ is a more useful concept towards understanding links between gender and nationhood as family relations in four ways: (1) providing a clear, hierarchical structure; (2) prescribing social roles and responsibilities; (3) being linked to positive affective connotations; and (4) reifying social phenomena as biologically determined. In order to empirically substantiate our claim, we will explore the prevalence and use of family metaphors in a key symbol of nationhood discourses. Through a qualitative analysis of national anthems as ‘mnemonics of national identity’, we demonstrate the widespread presence of family metaphors, discussing how they reproduce ideas of family and gender. Finally, we discuss how the ‘imagined family’ as present in anthems and other forms of national representation could inform future studies of nationalism and national politics.
Managing psychosis in a renal transplant recipient with bipolar affective disorder and allograft rejection
Authors: Dave Vatsa , Mulley William , Kanellis John , Summers Shaun
Published: March 2015

Management of mental health issues in the post‐transplant setting can be difficult given the potential for medication related neurotoxicity. The lack of established guidelines in this area further compounds this difficulty. The current report details the course of patient with stable bipolar affective disorder prior to renal transplantation, who developed de novo psychosis post‐transplantation as an adverse effect of her tacrolimus therapy. The patient was unable to take her usual oral immunosuppressants due to the severity of her psychosis and she eventually required alemtuzumab parenterally as rescue therapy from rejection. This case highlights the diagnostic and therapeutic challenges when dealing with transplant recipients with significant psychosis.
Renal allograft re‐use and herpetic re‐infection
Authors: Setyapranata Stella , Holt Stephen G , Wiggins Kate J , Mulley William R , Kerr Peter G , Landgren Anthony J , Eisen Damon P , Young Andrew , Opdam Helen , Robertson Amanda , Asadi Khashayar , Hughes Peter D
Published: March 2015

A middle‐aged man received a kidney transplant from a deceased multi‐organ donor. The recipient suffered cardiac arrest several days post‐operatively and sustained hypoxic brain injury and was declared brain dead. Following the family's consent, the allograft kidney was retrieved and re‐transplanted into a man with end‐stage renal failure secondary to reflux nephropathy. The liver was not transplanted due to suspicion of fatty changes based on macroscopic appearance. After transplantation of other organs, liver histology revealed coagulative parenchymal necrosis with nuclear inclusions and moderate parenchymal cholestasis, suggestive of herpes viral hepatitis. Renal implantation biopsy showed histiocytes with enlarged nuclei containing viral inclusions in the capsular fibrous tissue, with positive immunostaining for herpes simplex virus (HSV). Anti‐viral therapy was commenced immediately after obtaining histological evidence of donor HSV infection. Our recipient had pre‐formed immunoglobulin G antibodies to HSV‐1 and HSV‐2, and was immunoglobulin M negative pre‐transplant. HSV viraemia was detected day 5 post‐transplant with a viral load of 7688 copies/mL by polymerase chain reaction assay. The recipient completed a 30 day course of intravenous ganciclovir before switching to oral valganciclovir as standard cytomegalovirus prophylaxis. The HSV polymerase chain reaction became undetectable on day 7 of intravenous ganciclovir and has remained undetectable. The patient remains well 9 months post‐transplant with an estimated glomerular filtration rate of 61 mL/min per 1.73 m2. Although renal allograft re‐use has been shown to be technically possible with a good outcome in this recipient, this does raise issues including assessment of allografts that have undergone repeated severe ischaemic insults and the potential of transmission of infections.
Associations between sex and incident chronic kidney disease in a prospective diabetic cohort
Authors: Yu Margaret K , Katon Wayne , Young Bessie A
Published: March 2015

Aim

Women with diabetes have a higher prevalence of chronic kidney disease (CKD) risk factors compared with men, but whether they are at higher risk for incident CKD remains uncertain.

Methods

This was a prospective, observational cohort study of 1464 patients with diabetes and normal renal function, recruited from primary care clinics at a vertically integrated healthcare system in Seattle, WA, USA. The primary predictor was sex. Incident CKD was defined by an estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) <60 mL/min per 1.73 m2 by Chronic Kidney Disease‐Epidemiology equations or sex‐specific microalbuminuria (urine albumin/creatinine ratio ≥25 mg/g for women or ≥17 mg/g for men).

Results

Of the 1464 patients (52.0% women), CKD incidence rates were 154.0 and 144.3 cases per 1000 patient‐years for women and men, respectively. In the competing risks regression, women had an increased risk of incident CKD (sub‐hazard ratio 1.37, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.17, 1.60) compared with men after adjustment for demographics, baseline eGFR and duration of diabetes, which persisted after additional adjustment for CKD risk factors, depressive symptoms and diabetes self‐care (sub‐hazard ratio 1.35, 95% CI 1.15, 1.59). Sex differences in incident CKD were consistent across age groups and appeared to be driven by differences in the development of low eGFR rather than microalbuminuria.

Conclusion

Women with diabetes had a higher risk of incident CKD compared with men, which could not be entirely explained by differences in biologic CKD risk factors, depression or diabetes self‐care. Additional work is needed determine if these sex differences contribute to worse outcomes in women with diabetes.
Comparison of efficacy and safety between rabbit anti‐thymocyte globulin and anti‐T lymphocyte globulin in kidney transplantation from donation after cardiac death: A retrospective cohort study
Authors: Chen Guo‐Dong , Lai Xing‐Qiang , Ko Dicken Shiu‐Chung , Qiu Jiang , Wang Chang‐Xi , Han Ming , Li Jun , Huang Gang , He Xiao‐Shun , Chen Li‐Zhong
Published: March 2015

Aim

To compare the efficacy and safety between rabbit anti‐thymocyte globulin (Thymoglobulin) and anti‐T lymphocyte globulin (ATG‐Fresenius, ATG‐F) in donation after cardiac death (DCD) kidney transplantation.

Methods

We retrospectively analyzed 255 cases of DCD kidney transplantation performed at our hospital from February 2007 to October 2013. The patients were divided into two groups based on their induction therapies with Thymoglobulin (n = 188) or ATG‐F (n = 67). Clinical data were collected and compared between the two groups.

Results

Delayed graft function (DGF) occurred in 36 (19.1%) patients in the Thymoglobulin group versus 17 (25.4%) patients in the ATG‐F group (P = 0.281). However, if we subgroup the patients with increased risk factors for DGF, the DGF rate was 9/40 (22.5%) in the Thymoglobulin group versus 9/16 (56.3%) in the ATG‐F group (P = 0.015). Duration of DGF was significantly shorter in the Thymoglobulin group (11.7 days vs. 16.1 days). The acute rejection rate was significantly lower in the Thymoglobulin group (9.6% vs. 19.4%, P = 0.035). One‐year graft and patient survival were both comparable between the Thymoglobulin and ATG‐F groups. The adjusted odds ratio of DGF was 4.283 (1.137–16.13) between the ATG‐F and Thymoglobulin groups in patients with increased risk factors for DGF.

Conclusion

Compared with ATG‐F, Thymoglobulin may reduce duration of DGF and acute rejection rate after DCD kidney transplantation. Moreover, Thymoglobulin significantly reduced DGF in patients with increased risk factors for DGF.
The genus Bipinnula (Orchidaceae: Chloraeinae) in Argentina
Authors: Sanguinetti Agustín , Buzatto Cristiano Roberto , Singer Rodrigo B.
Published: March 2015

A taxonomic synopsis of Bipinnula Comm. ex Juss. (Orchidaceae: Chloraeinae) in Argentina is presented. Three species are recognized: B. biplumata Rchb.f., B. penicillata (Rchb.f.) Cisternas & Salazar and B. polysyka Kraenzl. A key to separate these species is presented and their distribution in Argentina is presented. All species are described in detail and photographs of diagnostic vegetative and floral features, as well as distributional, ecological and nomenclatural comments are included. Lectotypes for the basionyms Arethusa biplumata L.f., Chloraea arechavaletae Kraenzl. and B. polysyka Kraenzl. are designated. All studied species are terrestrial orchids that grow in grasslands of the heavily transformed Pampas biome; two of them are restricted to a few counties. Therefore, an assessment on their conservation status is urgently needed.
Taxonomic remarks on Hieracium sartorianum var. lucanicum (Asteraceae), a little known taxon of Cilento (Campania, southern Italy)
Authors: Gristina Emilio Di , Gottschlich Günter , Raimondo Francesco Maria
Published: March 2015

Hieracium sartorianum var. lucanicum, a little known taxon described from Mt Sacro (Parco Nazionale del Cilento e Vallo di Diano, Prov. of Salerno, Campania, Italy), is reexamined. As a result it is reclassified as a subspecies to H. hypochoeroides. A new combination and lectotypification are made and a detailed description is given.
Clinical features and biomarkers of concussion and mild traumatic brain injury in pediatric patients
Authors: McCarthy Matthew T. , Kosofsky Barry E.
Published: March 2015

There has been increasing awareness of the incidence and potential long‐term consequences of mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) in children and young adults. While parents, school systems, and athletic programs are clamoring for evidence‐based guidelines, the field remains primitive in understanding the factors resulting in a spectrum of individual outcomes, most of which are complete, but some of which are not. In this article, we discuss the definition, epidemiology, clinical presentation, course, and outcomes of mTBI, with a focus on the pediatric population as the context for reviewing the mechanisms and pathophysiology mediating, and biomarkers reflective of, more significant concussion‐induced brain injury. Our goal is to present a general overview of the features of mTBI in the pediatric population in order to provide a conceptual model for pediatricians and pediatric subspecialists. This model emphasizes the importance of establishing actionable, noninvasive biomarkers that are reflective of brain injury and that may identify those pediatric patients who can benefit from earlier and more aggressive interventions. We will focus on the specific features of mTBI in pediatric patients; although given the relative lack of research in the pediatric population, we will also extrapolate from research on adults.
Rhythms and blues: modulation of oscillatory synchrony and the mechanism of action of antidepressant treatments
Authors: Leuchter Andrew F. , Hunter Aimee M. , Krantz David E. , Cook Ian A.
Published: March 2015

Treatments for major depressive disorder (MDD) act at different hierarchical levels of biological complexity, ranging from the individual synapse to the brain as a whole. Theories of antidepressant medication action traditionally have focused on the level of cell‐to‐cell interaction and synaptic neurotransmission. However, recent evidence suggests that modulation of synchronized electrical activity in neuronal networks is a common effect of antidepressant treatments, including not only medications, but also neuromodulatory treatments such as repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation. Synchronization of oscillatory network activity in particular frequency bands has been proposed to underlie neurodevelopmental and learning processes, and also may be important in the mechanism of action of antidepressant treatments. Here, we review current research on the relationship between neuroplasticity and oscillatory synchrony, which suggests that oscillatory synchrony may help mediate neuroplastic changes related to neurodevelopment, learning, and memory, as well as medication and neuromodulatory treatment for MDD. We hypothesize that medication and neuromodulation treatments may have related effects on the rate and pattern of neuronal firing, and that these effects underlie antidepressant efficacy. Elucidating the mechanisms through which oscillatory synchrony may be related to neuroplasticity could lead to enhanced treatment strategies for MDD.
Spatial variation in the density and vulnerability of preferred prey in the landscape shape patterns of Amur tiger habitat use
Authors: Petrunenko Yuri K. , Montgomery Robert A. , Seryodkin Ivan V. , Zaumyslova Olga Y. , Miquelle Dale G. , Macdonald David W.
Published: March 2015

Theoretical and empirical research suggests that carnivore distributions are largely determined by prey availability. Availability depends not only on prey density but also on prey accessibility which is affected, in part, by the configuration of landscape attributes that make prey vulnerable to predation. Exactly how spatial variation in these processes shape patterns of carnivore habitat use at the home range scale remains poorly understood. We examined the influence of prey density (negative binomial resource selection function) and vulnerability (kill site resource selection function), mapped separately for each of three species of primary prey, on habitat use patterns within the home range for Amur tigers Panthera tigris altaica in Far East Russia over 20 winters. We developed spatially‐explicit mixed linear regression models to assess these patterns and found that models with parameters for specific primary prey were more robust than models with composite parameters for all primary prey species. This emphasizes the importance of evaluating predation dynamics at a species‐specific level. We also found that Amur tigers used habitat within the home range where red deer Cervus elaphus and wild boar Sus scrofa were dense. These two species were clearly preferred by tigers accounting for 72% (201 of the 278) of the tiger kills detected. The effect of red deer density however, was modulated by the vulnerability of red deer in the landscape. Amur tigers tended to establish their home ranges on habitat where red deer were most vulnerable to predation, but would use habitat where red deer were dense in the peripheral regions of their home ranges. This suggests that tigers may utilize two separate strategies for acquiring prey. As the configuration of resource patches within the home range influences carnivore survival and reproduction, our analysis has implications for tiger conservation that extend beyond our improved understanding of tiger‐prey ecology.
FRIEND OR FOE? INTER‐AGENCY COOPERATION, ORGANIZATIONAL REPUTATION, AND TURF
Authors: BUSUIOC E. MADALINA
Published: March 2015

This article aims to explain two contrasting cases of bureaucratic cooperation: the cooperation practices of two similar European agencies – Europol and Frontex – with corresponding national‐level structures. To understand why cooperation has proceeded smoothly in one case (border management), while triggering strong turf‐protective tendencies in the other (law enforcement), the article develops a theoretical approach to cooperation that is both ‘turf’ and reputation sensitive. Drawing on a variety of documents and interview material, the article demonstrates that the divergent outcomes are shaped to a large extent by the different reputational impact of cooperation for the national authorities concerned. In one case, cooperation depletes important reputational resources of national authorities, threatening their ‘reputational uniqueness’ and triggering turf‐protective tendencies. In the other, vertical and horizontal cooperation efforts bring important gains to national authorities' ability to discharge their tasks successfully and, thus, to their reputation‐building efforts. Crucially however, they do so without threatening their ‘reputational uniqueness’.
The Differential Effect of the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) on States’ Contributions to Education Funding in States with Binding School District Tax and Expenditure Limitations
Authors: Hayes Michael S.
Published: March 2015

I examine the effects of state‐imposed binding school district tax and expenditure limitations (TELs) on states’ shares of total education funding after the passage of the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB). Binding TELs restrict school districts’ abilities to raise additional revenue and increase expenditures. Using a state‐level panel dataset from 1992 to 2009, I find states that imposed binding school district TELs have at least 4.3 percent point higher state shares of total education funding relative to states without binding school district TELs after the passage of NCLB. This suggests state governments intervened by increasing funding assistance to school districts. NCLB was a fiscal shock to state governments’ finances and this shock was an unintended consequence of the interaction between binding school district TELs and an underfunded federal mandate. As a result, there was an expansion in the role and influence of states in the provision of public education after the passage of NCLB.
An Analysis of State–Local Government Capital Expenditure During the 2000s
Authors: Fisher Ronald C. , Wassmer Robert W.
Published: March 2015

Capital expenditure by subnational governments in the United States represents about two percent of GDP and 12 percent of state–local spending. Persistent differences among states exist in the amount and composition of this capital expenditure. This regression‐based research examines for the decade of the 2000s: (1) the factors affecting capital spending and interstate differences; (2) the effect of recessions; (3) the response to American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) stimulus funds; (4) state and year fixed effects; and (5) investment for highways and K‐12 education. Aggregate capital expenditure is relatively stable, although it increased around recessions, with ARRA grants especially important and substantial state‐specific influences.
Chromosomal regions associated with thein vitroculture response of wheat (Triticum aestivumL.) microspores
Authors: Nielsen Nanna H. , Andersen Stig U. , Stougaard Jens , Jensen Anni , Backes Gunter , Jahoor Ahmed
Published: March 2015

Generation of doubled haploid plants is a powerful tool in breeding, as homozygous individuals will be obtained directly from hybrids. However, genotype variability in regeneration efficiency of most European wheat (Triticum aestivumL.) varieties has limited its use in wheat. This study intended to identify quantitative trait loci (QTLs) for green plantlet regeneration from wheat microspore cultures. AQTLanalysis usingDArTmarkers was conducted based on a bi‐parental F3population, derived from a cross between the varieties Svilena and Jensen, which displayed markedly different capacity for plantlet regeneration. TwoQTLs on chromosome 1B and 7B explained 53% of the variation in green plantlet regeneration. Furthermore, a collection of 94 European wheat varieties was genotyped and phenotyped. The microspore response level was low among western and northern European wheat varieties, and the positiveQTLs found in the bi‐parental population were rare in the variety collection. Identification of the twoQTLs enables introduction of high regeneration efficiency into wheat germplasm. Moreover, our results proved that the efficient regeneration observed for one variety could be crossed into modern winter wheat.
Genetic diversity analysis of Moroccan lentil (Lens culinaris Medik.) landraces using Simple Sequence Repeat and Amplified Fragment Length Polymorphisms reveals functional adaptation towards agro‐environmental origins
Authors: Idrissi Omar , Udupa Sripada M. , Houasli Chafika , De Keyser Ellen , Van Damme Patrick , De Riek Jan
Published: March 2015

In the absence of previous molecular characterization, we assessed genetic diversity of 53 Moroccan lentil landraces including two local cultivars using simple sequence repeat (SSR) and amplified fragment length polymorphisms (AFLP). Nineteen SSRs yielded 213 alleles, and seven AFLP primer combinations gave 766 fragments of which 422 were polymorphic. Moderate to high genetic variation was observed. Several small groups of landraces were differentiated. Interestingly, one of the smallest groups contained short‐cycle landraces with high early vegetative growth. Landraces in that group were from the dry land location of Abda, where they were likely selected for adaptation to drought and heat stress over centuries. Another group contained two landraces from highland areas that may have been selected for specific adaptation to cold stress. A third group contained one landrace from the Zear region known for its seed quality and has been proposed for the protected designation of origin (PDO) quality mark. Both techniques gave evidence of differentiation of the latter landrace supporting the idea of PDO attribution. Functional grouping according to agro‐environmental origins, cycle duration and early vegetative vigour was observed.
FcWRKY70, a WRKY protein of Fortunella crassifolia, functions in drought tolerance and modulates putrescine synthesis by regulating arginine decarboxylase gene
Authors: Gong Xiaoqing , Zhang Jingyan , Hu Jianbing , Wang Wei , Wu Hao , Zhang Qinghua , Liu Ji‐Hong
Published: March 2015

WRKY comprises a large family of transcription factors in plants, but most WRKY members are still poorly understood. In this study, we report functional characterization of a Group III WRKY gene (FcWRKY70) from Fortunella crassifolia. FcWRKY70 was greatly induced by drought and abscisic acid, but slightly or negligibly by salt and cold. Overexpression of FcWRKY70 in tobacco (Nicotiana nudicaulis) and lemon (Citrus lemon) conferred enhanced tolerance to dehydration and drought stresses. Transgenic tobacco and lemon exhibited higher expression levels of ADC (arginine decarboxylase), and accumulated larger amount of putrescine in comparison with wild type (WT). Treatment with D‐arginine, an inhibitor of ADC, caused transgenic tobacco plants more sensitive to dehydration. Knock‐down of FcWRKY70 in kumquat down‐regulated ADC abundance and decreased putrescine level, accompanied by compromised dehydration tolerance. The promoter region of FcADC contained two W‐box elements, which were shown to be interacted with FcWRKY70. Taken together, our data demonstrated that FcWRKY70 functions in drought tolerance by, at least partly, promoting production of putrescine via regulating ADC expression.
Separating water‐potential induced swelling and shrinking from measured radial stem variations reveals a cambial growth and osmotic concentration signal
Authors: Chan Tommy , Hölttä Teemu , Berninger Frank , Mäkinen Harri , Nöjd Pekka , Mencuccini Maurizio , Nikinmaa Eero
Published: March 2015

The quantification of cambial growth over short time periods has been hampered by problems to discern between growth and the swelling and shrinking of a tree stem. This paper presents a model, which separates cambial growth and reversible water‐potential induced diurnal changes from simultaneously measured whole stem and xylem radial variations, from field‐measured Scots pine trees in Finland. The modelled growth, which includes osmotic concentration changes, was compared with (direct) dendrometer measurements and microcore samples. In addition, the relationship of modelled growth and dendrometer measurements to environmental factors was analysed. The results showed that the water‐potential induced changes of tree radius were successfully separated from stem growth. Daily growth predicted by the model exhibited a high correlation with the modelled daily changes of osmotic concentration in phloem, and a temperature dependency in early summer. Late‐summer growth saw higher dependency on water availability and temperature. Evaluation of the model against dendrometer measurements showed that the latter masked a true environmental signal in stem growth due to water‐potential induced changes. The model provides better understanding of radial growth physiology and offers potential to examine growth dynamics and changes due to osmotic concentration, and how the environment affects growth.
Association among number, order and type of siblings and adolescent mental health at age 12
Authors: Liu Jufen , Sekine Michikazu , Tatsuse Takashi , Fujimura Yuko , Hamanishi Shimako , Zheng Xiaoying
Published: March 2015

Background

Although the sibling relationship is a unique one, the effects of the number and type of siblings on mental health among adolescents have not been reported.

Methods

Japanese children (total, 9276; boys, 4654; girls, 4622), all 12 years old, and from the Japanese Toyama Birth Cohort Study, were followed up until 2002. Subject self‐reported mental health was obtained from the Japanese version of the Dartmouth Primary Care Co‐operative Project (COOP) charts. The associations between number and type of siblings and self‐reported mental health were examined.

Results

There was a significant difference in mental health between different sibling pairs, with brother pairs and brother/sister pairs having a positive effect on adolescent mental health, compared with those in sister pairs. Girls with brothers had better self‐reported mental health than those without. The adjusted OR of good mental health was 1.44 (95%CI:1.00–2.08) for those with an older brother and 1.67 (95%CI: 1.17–2.38) for those with a younger brother compared with those without. Boys with a younger sister had a higher OR of good self‐reported health than those without (OR, 1.62; 95%CI: 1.08–2.43).

Conclusions

Children with siblings had better mental health status than those without, which has practical implications for Asian countries and worldwide considering the declining fertility.