bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Dimensional psychopathology in preschool offspring of parents with bipolar disorder
Authors: Maoz Hagai , Goldstein Tina , Axelson David A. , Goldstein Benjamin I. , Fan Jieyu , Hickey Mary Beth , Monk Kelly , Sakolsky Dara , Diler Rasim S. , Brent David , Iyengar Satish , Kupfer David J. , Birmaher Boris
Published: December 2013

Background

The purpose of this study is to compare the dimensional psychopathology, as ascertained by parental report, in preschool offspring of parents with bipolar disorder (BP) and offspring of community control parents.

Methods

122 preschool offspring (mean age 3.3 years) of 84 parents with BP, with 102 offspring of 65 control parents (36 healthy, 29 with non‐BP psychopathology), were evaluated using the Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL), the CBCL‐Dysregulation Profile (CBCL‐DP), the Early Childhood Inventory (ECI‐4), and the Emotionality Activity Sociability (EAS) survey. Teachers' Report Forms (TRF) were available for 51 preschoolers.

Results

After adjusting for confounders, offspring of parents with BP showed higher scores in the CBCL total, externalizing, somatic, sleep, aggressive, and CBCL‐DP subscales; the ECI‐4 sleep problem scale; and the EAS total and emotionality scale. The proportion of offspring with CBCL T‐scores ≥2 SD above the norm was significantly higher on most CBCL subscales and the CBCL‐DP in offspring of parents with BP compared to offspring of controls even after excluding offspring with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and/or oppositional defiant disorder. Compared to offspring of parents with BP‐I, offspring of parents with BP‐II showed significantly higher scores in total and most CBCL subscales, the ECI‐4 anxiety and sleep scales and the EAS emotionality scale. For both groups of parents, there were significant correlations between CBCL and TRF scores (r = .32–.38, p‐values ≤.02).

Conclusions

Independent of categorical axis‐I psychopathology and other demographic or clinical factors in both biological parents, preschool offspring of parents with BP have significantly greater aggression, mood dysregulation, sleep disturbances, and somatic complaints compared to offspring of control parents. Interventions to target these symptoms are warranted.
Elasticity of lawsonite and seismological signature of metamorphism and water cycling in the subducting oceanic crust
Authors: Reynard B. , Bass J. D.
Published: December 2013

The elastic properties of lawsonite determined from equations of state, Brillouin scattering, acoustic velocity measurements, and first‐principles calculations are reviewed. Equations of state are essential for thermodynamic modelling of phase equilibrium at high pressure. Elastic tensor determinations allow calculation of the seismic properties of isotropic rocks, and of anisotropic rocks when combined with CPO determinations. Potential effects of low‐T, high‐P phase transitions in lawsonite on extrapolations to deep‐Earth conditions are discussed. Seismological data suggest that metamorphic zoning in active cold subduction zones can be resolved as low velocity layers down to 250 km. Mineral physics and phase equilibria indicate that lawsonite is the best candidate for explaining such low velocities. These layers are likely the image of water recycling to the deep mantle in subduction zones.
Exercise Training does not Enhance Hypothalamic Responsiveness to Leptin or Ghrelin in Male Mice
Authors: Borg M. L. , Andrews Z. B. , Watt M. J.
Published: December 2013

The detection of hormone and nutrient signals by the hypothalamus is blunted in obesity and contributes to dysregulated energy homeostasis. We investigated whether aerobic exercise training would improve long‐term hypothalamic sensitivity to both leptin and ghrelin, independent of acute exercise‐induced signalling. Male C57Bl/6J mice were fed either a chow or high‐fat diet for 6 weeks, then remained sedentary on their respective diet, or completed 6 weeks of treadmill exercise training with a progressive increase in exercise volume and intensity. Food intake and hypothalamic signalling were assessed in mice injected with leptin or ghrelin at least 24 h after the last exercise bout. Exercise training reduced body mass, increased daily food intake and improved glucose tolerance. Intraperitoneal leptin administration reduced food intake in lean and obese mice, and this was not enhanced after exercise training. Leptin‐mediated activation of phosphorylated signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 in the arcuate nucleus and ventromedial nucleus of the hypothalamus was not enhanced with exercise training. Ghrelin increased food intake and c‐Fos positive neurones in the hypothalamus in lean and obese mice, and these physiological and molecular responses were not enhanced with exercise training. This suggests that the previously reported exercise effects on sensitising hypothalamic signalling and food intake responses may be limited to the period immediately after an exercise bout, and are not a result of stable structural or molecular changes that occur with exercise training.
Do Outcomes from Transcatheter Aortic Valve Implantation Vary According to Access Route and Valve Type? The UK TAVI Registry
Authors: BLACKMAN DANIEL J. , BAXTER PAUL D. , GALE CHRIS P. , MOAT NEIL E. , MACCARTHY PHILIP A. , HILDICK‐SMITH DAVID , TRIVEDI UDAY , CUNNINGHAM DAVID , DE BELDER MARK A. , LUDMAN PETER F. ,   on behalf of the National Institute for Cardiovascular Outcomes Research (NICOR)
Published: December 2013

Objectives

To determine whether outcomes from transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) vary according to access route and valve type in a real‐world population.

Background

Registry and uncontrolled trial data have found that patients undergoing nonfemoral TAVI have higher early and late mortality. It is not clear whether worse outcomes relate directly to access route. There have been no direct comparisons of outcomes according to valve type.

Methods

Data were collected prospectively on 1,620 patients undergoing TAVI in the UK and compared in 4 groups: SAPIEN transfemoral (TF); SAPIEN transapical (TA); CoreValve TF, CoreValve subclavian. Univariable and multivariable regression analysis was performed to identify independent predictors of mortality.

Results

Mortality in patients undergoing SAPIEN TAVI via a TA approach was higher than with TF at 30 days (11.2% vs. 4.4%, P < 0.01), 1 year (28.7% vs. 18.1%, P = 0.01), and 2 years (56.0% vs. 43.5%, P = 0.01). Logistic EuroSCORE was higher in TA patients (22.5 ± 12.9% vs. 17.7 ± 11.1%, P < 0.0001). After multivariable analysis TA access was associated with increased mortality at 30 days (OR 2.56, 95% CI 1.46–4.48, P < 0.01) and 2 years (OR 1.75, 1.08–2.74, P = 0.02). There was no significant difference in mortality at any time‐point between patients treated with SAPIEN (n = 812) and CoreValve (n = 808) prostheses. CoreValve‐treated patients had a higher rate of permanent pacemaker implantation (23.1% vs. 7.2%, P < 0.0001), and grade ≥2 aortic regurgitation on postprocedure echocardiography (13.0% vs. 7.3%, P < 0.01).

Conclusions

Patients undergoing TA TAVI experienced increased early and late mortality compared to a TF approach. Survival was not influenced by valve type. (J Interven Cardiol 2014;27:86–95)
A Model of Market Power in Customer Markets
Authors: Somaini Paulo , Einav Liran
Published: December 2013

We develop a model for studying dynamic competition in environments with frictions that lead to partial lock‐in of customers to products. The dynamic aspects associated with customer retention and acquisition introduce pricing incentives that do not exist in more traditional, static product markets. The proposed model, while highly stylized, maintains certain symmetry properties that allow us to obtain equilibrium existence and uniqueness. We then study the comparative statics of the model and derive a closed‐form relationship between average equilibrium markups and the Herfindahl index. We illustrate how the model can be used by analyzing mergers in such a dynamic environment.
Too Much Information Sharing? Welfare Effects of Sharing Acquired Cost Information in Oligopoly
Authors: Ganuza Juan‐José , Jansen Jos
Published: December 2013

By using general information structures and precision criteria based on the dispersion of conditional expectations, we study how oligopolists’ information acquisition decisions may change the effects of information sharing on the consumer surplus. Sharing information about individual cost parameters gives the following trade‐off inCournot oligopoly. On the one hand, it decreases the expected consumer surplus for a given information precision, as the literature shows. On the other hand, information sharing increases the firms’ incentives to acquire information, and the consumer surplus increases in the precision of the firms’ information. Interestingly, the latter effect may dominate the former effect.
Prevalence of high‐risk human papillomavirus type 16 and 18 in oral and cervical cancers in population from Gujarat, West India
Authors: Patel Kinjal R. , Vajaria Bhairavi N. , Begum Rasheedunnisa , Desai Ava , Patel Jayendra B. , Shah Franky D. , Shukla Shilin N. , Patel Prabhudas S.
Published: December 2013

Background

Oral and cervical cancers are major malignancies in men and women, respectively, in India. This study evaluated occurrence of human papillomavirus (HPV) 16 and 18 infections in oral and cervical cancers to estimate HPV‐associated burden of these cancers in the population from Gujarat, West India.

Methods

A total of 97 malignant oral carcinoma tissues and 52 cervical carcinoma tissues were analyzed by type‐specific PCR for the presence of HPV type 16 and 18 infections.

Results

None of the oral cancer patients revealed the presence of HPV type 16 and 18 infection. In cervical cancer, 31 (59.6%) patients were infected with HPV 16 and 18. Of these 31 HPV‐positive cervical cancer patients, 28 (90.3%) were infected with HPV 16 and 3 (9.7%) were infected with HPV 18.

Conclusion

The results suggested that HPV 16 and 18 do not play an important role in oral carcinogenesis in the population from Gujarat, West India. However, HPV 16 is highly prevalent in the cervical cancer patients, which may be considered for planning of prevention programs such as screening and vaccination in women from this region.
Genetic Diversity and Pathogenic Variability ofColletotrichum truncatumCausing Anthracnose of Pepper inMalaysia
Authors: Mahmodi Farshid , Kadir Jugah , Puteh Adam
Published: December 2013

Colletotrichum truncatumwas initially described from pepper and has been reported to infect 180 host genera in 55 plant families worldwide. Samples were collected from pepper plants showing typical anthracnose symptoms. Diseased samples after isolation were identified asC. truncatumbased on morphological characters and ITS‐rDNAandβ‐tubulin sequence data. Intersimple sequence repeat (ISSR) markers were used to estimate genetic diversity inC. truncatumfrom Malaysia. A set of 3 ISSR primers revealed a total 26 allele from the amplified products. Cluster analysis with UPGMA method clusteredC. truncatumisolates into two main groups, which differed with a distance of 0.64. However, the genetic diversity ofC. truncatumisolates showed correlation between genetic and geographical distribution, but it failed to reveal a relationship between clustering and pathogenic variability. Phylogenetic analyses discriminated theC. truncatumisolates from other referenceColletotrichumspecies derived from GenBank. Among the morphological characters, shape, colour of colony and growth rate in culture were partially correlated with the ISSR and phylogenetic grouping. Pathogenicity tests revealed thatC. truncatumisolates were causal agents for pepper anthracnose. In the cross‐inoculation assays,C. truncatumisolates were able to produce anthracnose symptoms on tomato, eggplant, onion, lettuce and cabbage. A pathogenicity and cross‐inoculation studies indicated the potential ofC. truncatumfor virulence and dominancy on plant resistance.
Volatile fatty acid profile for grass hay or alfalfa hay fed to alpacas (Vicugna pacos)
Authors: Oldham C. L. , Robinson T. F. , Hunter Z. R. , Taylor L. , White J. , Johnston N. P.
Published: December 2013

The purpose of this study was to determine the diurnal composition and concentration of volatile fatty acids (VFA) and to determine VFA composition and concentration differences between stomach compartment 1 (C1) and caecum of alpacas fed grass and alfalfa hay. The study was divided into two experiments. In Experiment 1 (EXP 1), 10 male alpacas (3+ years old, 65 kg BW) were divided into two groups, housed in drylot pens, provided ad libitum water and fed alfalfa (AH) or grass hay (GH) for 30 days. The alpacas were slaughtered and the digestive tract collected, divided into sub‐tract sections, weighed and digesta sampled for pH, dry matter (DM) and NDF. Volatile fatty acid composition and concentration were determined on C1 and caecal material. Four adult male (3+ years old, 60 kg BW), C1 fistulated alpacas were housed in metabolism crates and divided into two forage groups for Experiment 2 (EXP 2). Alpacas were fed the forages as in EXP 1. Diurnal C1 VFA samples were drawn at 1, 3, 6, 9, 12, 18 and 24 h post‐feeding. There were no differences between forages for tract weight, C1 and caecum digesta DM or NDF. Differences were noted (p < 0.05) for pH between forages and sub‐tract site. Volatile fatty acids concentrations were different (p < 0.05) for forage and site, and total VFA was higher for AH than GH (110.6 and 79.1 mm) and C1 than caecum (40.7 and 27.6 mm). Proportion of VFA was significant (p < 0.05) for forage and site, C1 acetate highest for GH (84.8 vs. 74.0 mm) and caecum acetate 83.7 and 76.2 mm for GH and AH respectively. These data demonstrate the level of VFA produced in C1 and the caecum of alpacas and the diurnal VFA patterns. Composition of VFA is similar to other ruminant species.
Antarctic macrolichen modifies microclimate and facilitates vascular plants in the maritime Antarctica – a reply to Casanova‐Katny et al. (2014)
Authors: Molina‐Montenegro Marco A. , Torres‐Díaz Cristian , Gianoli Ernesto
Published: December 2013

In a current article in the Journal of Vegetation Science, Casanova‐Katny et al. addressed a comment about an article by Molina‐Montenegro et al., which demonstrated the climate modification induced by the macrolichen Usnea antarctica and its role as facilitator. They provided useful corrections concerning species identification and pointed out several issues that, in their view, weakened our study. They indicated that the role of U. antarctica as a facilitative species in the maritime Antarctica is merely philosophical and has no ecological relevance. In this commentary, we argue why these critiques are unsubstantial, and provide evidence that the macrolichen can modify the microclimate, ameliorating the harsh conditions prevailing in Antarctica, establishing positive interactions and eventually facilitating vascular species. Thus, the macrolichen U. antarctica would act as a ‘nurse species’, playing a key role in structuring the maritime Antarctic plant community.
Language Use in Six Study Abroad Programs: An Exploratory Analysis of Possible Predictors
Authors: Dewey Dan P. , Bown Jennifer , Baker Wendy , Martinsen Rob A. , Gold Carrie , Eggett Dennis
Published: December 2013

A common predictor of language gains during study abroad (SA) is amount of language use. Yet little attention has been given to determining what factors influence the extent of language use while abroad. Studies in this area have mainly been case studies of learners in single locations. In this larger study, we seek to determine variables connected with language use by examining 118 learners studying abroad in Madrid, Mérida (Mexico), Paris, Moscow, Nanjing, or Cairo. These learners reported their second language (L2) use over a 1‐week period during their stay. Significant predictors of reported L2 use include SA program, age, pre‐departure language proficiency, number of native speaker friends, gender, and personality.
Revised albedos of Trojan asteroids (911) Agamemnon and (4709) Ennomos
Authors: Shevchenko V. G. , Slyusarev I. G. , Belskaya I. N.
Published: December 2013

CCD‐photometry was performed for two Jupiter Trojan asteroids (911) Agamemnon and (4709) Ennomos for which the diameters were obtained from occultation events. New data on rotation periods, lightcurve amplitudes, color indices, magnitude–phase slopes, and absolute magnitudes were obtained for these asteroids. We have used the diameters from occultations (166 and 99 km) and new data on absolute magnitudes at the instant occultation (7.95 and 8.85 mag) to revise their albedos to 0.042 (911 Agamemnon) and 0.052 (4709 Ennomos).
Integrating genetic data and population viability analyses for the identification of harbour seal (Phoca vitulina) populations and management units
Authors: Olsen Morten T. , Andersen Liselotte W. , Dietz Rune , Teilmann Jonas , Härkönen Tero , Siegismund Hans R.
Published: December 2013

Identification of populations and management units is an essential step in the study of natural systems. Still, there is limited consensus regarding how to define populations and management units, and whether genetic methods allow for inference at the relevant spatial and temporal scale. Here, we present a novel approach, integrating genetic, life history and demographic data to identify populations and management units in southern Scandinavian harbour seals. First, 15 microsatellite markers and model‐ and distance‐based genetic clustering methods were used to determine the population genetic structure in harbour seals. Second, we used harbour seal demographic and life history data to conduct population viability analyses (PVAs) in the vortex simulation model in order to determine whether the inferred genetic units could be classified as management units according to Lowe and Allendorf's (Molecular Ecology, 19, 2010, 3038) ‘population viability criterion’ for demographic independence. The genetic analyses revealed fine‐scale population structuring in southern Scandinavian harbour seals and pointed to the existence of several genetic units. The PVAs indicated that the census population size of each of these genetic units was sufficiently large for long‐term population viability, and hence that the units could be classified as demographically independent management units. Our study suggests that population genetic inference can offer the same degree of temporal and spatial resolution as ‘nongenetic’ methods and that the combined use of genetic data and PVAs constitutes a promising approach for delineating populations and management units.
Low host specificity of root‐associated fungi at an Arctic site
Authors: Botnen Synnøve , Vik Unni , Carlsen Tor , Eidesen Pernille B. , Davey Marie L. , Kauserud Håvard
Published: December 2013

In High Arctic ecosystems, plant growth and reproduction are limited by low soil moisture and nutrient availability, low soil and air temperatures, and a short growing season. Mycorrhizal associations facilitate plant nutrient acquisition and water uptake and may therefore be particularly ecologically important in nutrition‐poor and dry environments, such as parts of the Arctic. Similarly, endophytic root associates are thought to play a protective role, increasing plants' stress tolerance, and likely have an important ecosystem function. Despite the importance of these root‐associated fungi, little is known about their host specificity in the Arctic. We investigated the host specificity of root‐associated fungi in the common, widely distributed arctic plant species Bistorta vivipara, Salix polaris and Dryas octopetala in the High Arctic archipelago Svalbard. High‐throughput sequencing of the internal transcribed spacer 1 (ITS1) amplified from whole root systems generated no evidence of host specificity and no spatial autocorrelation within two 3 m × 3 m sample plots. The lack of spatial structure at small spatial scales indicates that Common Mycelial Networks (CMNs) are rare in marginal arctic environments. Moreover, no significant differences in fungal OTU richness were observed across the three plant species, although their root system characteristics (size, biomass) differed considerably. Reasons for lack of host specificity could be that association with generalist fungi may allow arctic plants to more rapidly and easily colonize newly available habitats, and it may be favourable to establish symbiotic relationships with fungi possessing different physiological attributes.
Balancing selection and heterozygote advantage in major histocompatibility complex loci of the bottlenecked Finnish wolf population
Authors: Niskanen A. K. , Kennedy L. J. , Ruokonen M. , Kojola I. , Lohi H. , Isomursu M. , Jansson E. , Pyhäjärvi T. , Aspi J.
Published: December 2013

Maintaining effective immune response is an essential factor in the survival of small populations. One of the most important immune gene regions is the highly polymorphic major histocompatibility complex (MHC). We investigated how a population bottleneck and recovery have influenced the diversity and selection in three MHC class II loci, DLA‐DRB1, DLA‐DQA1 and DLA‐DQB1, in the Finnish wolf population. We studied the larger Russian Karelian wolf population for comparison and used 17 microsatellite markers as reference loci. The Finnish and Karelian wolf populations did not differ substantially in their MHC diversities ( = 0.047, P = 0.377), but differed in neutral microsatellite diversities ( = 0.148, P = 0.008). MHC allele frequency distributions in the Finnish population were more even than expected under neutrality, implying balancing selection. In addition, an excess of nonsynonymous compared to synonymous polymorphisms indicated historical balancing selection. We also studied association between helminth (Trichinella spp. and Echinococcus canadensis) prevalence and MHC diversity at allele and SNP level. MHC‐heterozygous wolves were less often infected by Trichinella spp. and carriers of specific MHC alleles, SNP haplotypes and SNP alleles had less helminth infections. The associated SNP haplotypes and alleles were shared by different MHC alleles, which emphasizes the necessity of single‐nucleotide‐level association studies also in MHC. Here, we show that strong balancing selection has had similar effect on MHC diversities in the Finnish and Russian Karelian wolf populations despite significant genetic differentiation at neutral markers and small population size in the Finnish population.
How Sharp is a “Sharp Scratch”? A Mixed Methods Study of Verbal Warnings Issued Before Venipuncture
Authors: Vijayan Roshan , Scott Gregory , Brownlie Wendi , Male Pandora , Chin Kian
Published: December 2013

Objectives

Health care providers frequently issue a verbal warning before venipuncture. Communications that induce negative expectations in patients can lead to the “nocebo” response, defined as experiencing greater pain. But is this also true for “sharp scratch”?

Methods

The study was conducted across 4 U.K. hospitals. Two separate surveys of health care providers and patients explored the prevalence, phraseology, rationale, and reaction to verbal warnings before venipuncture. Blinded adult patients already attending an outpatient department during a 2‐week period were randomized to hearing a “sharp scratch” or the verbal cue “ready?” immediately before venipuncture. They were also asked to rate their pain (the primary outcome).

Results

77% of 117 health care providers surveyed issued a verbal warning before venipuncture; 73% used “sharp scratch”. Of 62 patients surveyed, 56% agreed that “sharp scratch” accurately describes venipuncture, and 64% agreed that they prefer “sharp scratch” to no warning. With increasing age, a preference came for an alternative warning to “sharp scratch” (P = 0.039) and to be distracted by conversation (P = 0.002). Of 192 patients in the randomized study, there was no difference in pain between the “sharp scratch” and “ready” groups. The numeric rating scores were 0.74 SD 1.06 vs. 0.88 SD 1.18, respectively. (P = 0.493).

Conclusions

Most health care providers use the verbal warning “sharp scratch” before venipuncture. Most patients find this acceptable and prefer it to no warning. An exception may be elderly patients, who may prefer to be distracted by conversation. “Sharp scratch” makes no difference to the pain experienced compared with a verbal cue.
Psychiatric symptoms of noradrenergic dysfunction: A pathophysiological view
Authors: Yamamoto Ken‐ichi , Shinba Toshikazu , Yoshii Mitsunobu
Published: December 2013

What psychiatric symptoms are caused by central noradrenergic dysfunction? The hypothesis considered in this review is that noradrenergic dysfunction causes the abnormalities in arousal level observed in functional psychoses. In this review, the psychiatric symptoms of noradrenergic dysfunction were inferred pathophysiologically from the neuroscience literature. This inference was examined based on the literature on the biology of psychiatric disorders and psychotropics. Additionally, hypotheses were generated as to the cause of the noradrenergic dysfunction. The central noradrenaline system, like the peripheral system, mediates the alarm reaction during stress. Overactivity of the system increases the arousal level and amplifies the emotional reaction to stress, which could manifest as a cluster of symptoms, such as insomnia, anxiety, irritability, emotional instability and exaggerated fear or aggressiveness (hyperarousal symptoms). Underactivity of the system lowers the arousal level and attenuates the alarm reaction, which could result in hypersomnia and insensitivity to stress (hypoarousal symptoms). Clinical data support the hypothesis that, in functional psychoses, the noradrenergic dysfunction is in fact associated with the arousal symptoms described above. The anti‐noradrenergic action of anxiolytics and antipsychotics can explain their sedative effects on the hyperarousal symptoms of these disorders. The results of animal experiments suggest that excessive stress can be a cause of long‐term noradrenergic dysfunction.
Multicenter population‐based study on the prevalence of early onset dementia in Japan: Vascular dementia as its prominent cause
Authors: Ikejima Chiaki , Ikeda Manabu , Hashimoto Mamoru , Ogawa Yusuke , Tanimukai Satoshi , Kashibayashi Tetsuo , Miyanaga Kazuo , Yonemura Kimie , Kakuma Tatsuyuki , Murotani Kenta , Asada Takashi
Published: December 2013

Aim

In Japan, the government and media have become aware of the issues of early onset dementia (EOD), but policies for EOD have not yet been established and support systems are inadequate. To provide practical data about EOD, a two‐step postal survey was performed.

Methods

A questionnaire requesting information on EOD cases was sent to target institutions in five catchment areas in Japan. According to the answers from the institutions, we estimated the prevalence of EOD using census data and determined the illnesses causing EOD. As a quality control study, the authors reviewed every diagnosis in a quarter of the reported cases using the medical and psychiatric records and neuroimaging data. This study was conducted from 2006 to 2007.

Results

Information from 2469 patients was collected from 12 747 institutions, and 2059 subjects with EOD were identified. The estimated prevalence of EOD was 47.6 per 100 000 (95% confidence interval, 47.1–48.1) for all of Japan. Of the illnesses causing EOD, vascular dementia (VaD) was the most frequent (39.8%), followed by Alzheimer's disease.

Conclusions

The prevalence of EOD in Japan appeared to be similar to that in Western countries. However, unlike previously reported international experience, VaD was the most frequent cause of EOD in all catchment areas in Japan.
Prurigo Pigmentosa after a Strict Ketogenic Diet
Authors: Michaels Jason D. , Hoss Elika , DiCaudo David J. , Price Harper
Published: December 2013

Prurigo pigmentosa (PP) is a rare inflammatory dermatosis of unknown cause characterized by a predominantly truncal eruption of pruritic erythematous papules in a reticular pattern, resolving with hyperpigmentation. PP is twice as common in girls and women, and the mean age at onset is 25 years. Diagnosis of PP is challenging and is aided by characteristic histopathologic findings. We report a case of PP in a 17‐year‐old white boy. The eruption arose during strict adherence to a ketogenic diet.
Differences Between Novices' and Experts' Solving Ill‐Structured Problems
Authors: Sarsfield Eileen
Published: December 2013

Objective

The purpose of this study was to describe differences in the cognitive processes of novice and expert public health nurses (PHNs) as they solved ill‐structured problems commonly found in public health practice.

Design and Sample

This descriptive/exploratory small group design used the think‐aloud method, a qualitative technique of collecting verbal data about cognitive processes. Data were coded and analyzed using theoretical thematic analysis. The purposive sample consisted of 12 registered nurses: six novices and six experts.

Measures

Participants were asked to think‐aloud as they solved two ill‐structured public health problems (underage drinking and obesity).

Results

Findings indicated that novice and expert PHNs solve ill‐structured problems differently. Experts used cognitive strategies, such as conversion, to propel the problem‐solving process forward, forming complex, detailed problem representations and solutions. Novices asked questions as a strategy in defining the problem and developed broad, superficial problem representations and solutions.

Conclusions

This study suggests the need for the development of strategies in the workplace and in academia that support PHNs in identifying and solving ill‐structured problems as they transition from novice to expert.
Habitat Use by Waterbirds in Relation to Pond Size, Water Depth, and Isolation: Lessons from a Restoration in Southern Spain
Authors: Sebastián‐González Esther , Green Andy J.
Published: December 2013

Wetland restoration is increasingly important to reverse habitat degradation, recover ecosystem services, and maintain biodiversity. To aid project design, more information is required on the influence of wetland size, depth of water, and isolation on the waterbird communities that become established. During a restoration project in Doñana, one of the Europe's most important wetland complexes, an experimental network of 96 temporary ponds with standard shape but variable size, water depth, and isolation was created. We surveyed the waterbird community in spring from 2006 to 2008 and related species abundance and richness to abiotic pond characteristics. We also performed analyses pooling species by foraging guilds or body size. Waterbird abundance and species richness were highest in 2007, the wettest year when the ponds had longer hydroperiods. Larger ponds had consistently higher abundance and species richness for the entire community and for different guilds and body sizes. Moreover, the density of birds per hectare was higher in large ponds than in the smaller ones. Pond isolation and excavated depth did not affect overall abundance and richness, although opposing effects of depth were observed on some size classes, and ducks and large birds preferred isolated ponds. Some bird groups preferred ponds at a particular location. This is the first waterbird study to address the importance of pond size, depth, and isolation independently of confounding variables such as pond shape. It illustrates the varied responses from different bird groups and demonstrates the importance of varying depth, location, and isolation to enhance community abundance and diversity.
Genomic full‐length sequence of a novel HLA‐B*39:01:01:03 allele was identified in a Chinese individual
Authors: Chen N.‐Y. , Zhang W. , He J. , Zhu F.‐M. , Lv H.‐J.
Published: December 2013

HLA‐B*39:01:01:03 allele differs from HLA‐B*39:01:01:01 allele by a single nucleotide substitution.
Stratigraphic simulations of the shelf of the Gulf of Lions: testing subsidence rates and sea‐level curves during the Pliocene and Quaternary
Authors: Leroux Estelle , Rabineau Marina , Aslanian Daniel , Granjeon Didier , Droz Laurence , Gorini Christian
Published: December 2013

Determining the relative importance of factors interacting to control stratigraphic organization is a key issue in sedimentology. The Pliocene‐Quaternary chronostratigraphy on the Gulf of Lions platform is still poorly constrained, giving rise to different interpretations of the evolution of its subsidence through time. This paper examines the Pliocene‐Quaternary sedimentary filling of the Gulf of Lion's shelf with Dionisos, a numerical stratigraphic model. Our results show that a constant subsidence rate accurately reproduces the observed geometries, whereas a varying subsidence rate reproduces them only if the acceleration of subsidence is limited. At this time‐scale, a third‐order eustatic curve is also reappraised: a higher resolution curve (built using δ18O measurements) gives a more realistic restitution of our stratigraphic markers. Finally, the constant subsidence rate and sediment fluxes implied in these modellings are discussed relative to climate and local factors of sedimentation.
Helicobacter canis bacteremia in a renal transplant patient
Authors: van der Vusse M.L. , van Son W.J. , Ott A. , Manson W.
Published: December 2013

Here we present a case report of a 41‐year‐old woman suffering from high fever and bacteremia due to Helicobacter canis, 11 months after kidney transplantation. Identification of H. canis was achieved by 16s rDNA sequence analysis of a positive blood culture. The patient was restored fully to health after antibiotics therapy (cefuroxime and ciprofloxacin). Until now, only 4 human clinical cases have been described with H. canis bacteremia. This study describes for the first time, to our knowledge, an infection with H. canis in a kidney transplant patient.
Incidence, risk factors, and outcome of bloodstream infections during the pre‐engraftment phase in 521 allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantations
Authors: Blennow O. , Ljungman P. , Sparrelid E. , Mattsson J. , Remberger M.
Published: December 2013

Background

Bloodstream infection (BSI) after allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) is a well‐known complication during the pre‐engraftment phase. Knowledge of trends in etiology and antibiotic susceptibility of BSI is important as the time to effective antibiotic treatment is closely associated with survival in bacteremic patients with septic shock.

Methods

BSI during the pre‐engraftment phase was studied retrospectively in 521 patients undergoing HSCT at our center in 2001–2008. Incidence, risk factors, outcome, and microbiology findings were investigated and compared with BSI in a cohort transplanted during 1975–1996.

Results

The incidence of at least 1 episode of BSI was 21%, the total attributable mortality of BSI was 3.3%, and crude mortality at day 120 after transplantation was 21%. The rate of gram‐positive and gram‐negative BSI was 80% and 13%, respectively. Gram‐negative BSI was more frequent both in 2001–2004 and in 2005–2008 compared with 1986–1996 (P = 0.023 for 2001–2004, P = 0.001 for 2005–2008), with fluoroquinolone‐resistant Escherichia coli as the predominant finding. BSI with viridans streptococci and E. coli occurred significantly earlier after HSCT than BSI with Enterococcus species, with median time of 4, 8, and 11 days, respectively (P < 0.01 both for viridians streptococci vs. Enterococcus species, and E. coli vs. Enterococcus species). Risk factors for BSI in multivariate analysis were transplantation from unrelated donor and cord blood as stem cell source, whereas peripheral blood as stem cell source was protective.

Conclusions

Despite low attributable mortality of BSI, crude mortality at day 120 after transplantation was 21%, indicating an association between BSI and other risk factors for death. The risk of gram‐negative BSI increased over time in parallel with an increased rate of quinolone resistance. However, the incidence and attributable mortality of gram‐negative BSI remained low. Thus, prophylaxis with ciprofloxacin is still deemed appropriate, but continued assessments of the risk and benefits of fluoroquinolone prophylaxis must be performed.
Transfusion medicine on American television
Authors: Karp J. K.
Published: December 2013

Background

Television is a beloved American pastime and a frequent American export. As such, American television shapes how the global public views the world.

Objectives

This study examines how the portrayal of blood transfusion and blood donation on American television may influence how domestic and international audiences perceive the field of transfusion medicine.

Materials and Methods

American television programming of the last quarter‐century was reviewed to identify programmes featuring topics related to blood banking/transfusion medicine. The included television episodes were identified through various sources.

Results

Twenty‐seven television episodes airing between 1991 and 2013 were identified as featuring blood bank/transfusion medicine topics. Although some accurate representations of the field were identified, most television programmes portrayed blood banking/transfusion medicine inaccurately.

Conclusion

The way in which blood banking/transfusion medicine is portrayed on American television may assist clinicians in understanding their patient's concerns about blood safety and guide blood collection organisations in improving donor recruitment.
The NIa‐Pro protein of Turnip mosaic virus improves growth and reproduction of the aphid vector, Myzus persicae (green peach aphid)
Authors: Casteel Clare L. , Yang Chunling , Nanduri Ananya C. , De Jong Hannah N. , Whitham Steven A. , Jander Georg
Published: December 2013

Many plant viruses depend on aphids and other phloem‐feeding insects for transmission within and among host plants. Thus, viruses may promote their own transmission by manipulating plant physiology to attract aphids and increase aphid reproduction. Consistent with this hypothesis, Myzus persicae (green peach aphids) prefer to settle on Nicotiana benthamiana infected with Turnip mosaic virus (TuMV) and fecundity on virus‐infected N. benthamiana and Arabidopsis thaliana (Arabidopsis) is higher than on uninfected controls. TuMV infection suppresses callose deposition, an important plant defense, and increases the amount of free amino acids, the major source of nitrogen for aphids. To investigate the underlying molecular mechanisms of this phenomenon, 10 TuMV genes were over‐expressed in plants to determine their effects on aphid reproduction. Production of a single TuMV protein, nuclear inclusion a‐protease domain (NIa‐Pro), increased M. persicae reproduction on both N. benthamiana and Arabidopsis. Similar to the effects that are observed during TuMV infection, NIa‐Pro expression alone increased aphid arrestment, suppressed callose deposition and increased the abundance of free amino acids. Together, these results suggest a function for the TuMV NIa‐Pro protein in manipulating the physiology of host plants. By attracting aphid vectors and promoting their reproduction, TuMV may influence plant–aphid interactions to promote its own transmission.
Silencing of the tomato Sugar Partitioning Affecting protein (SPA) modifies sink strength through a shift in leaf sugar metabolism
Authors: Bermúdez Luisa , de Godoy Fabiana , Baldet Pierre , Demarco Diego , Osorio Sonia , Quadrana Leandro , Almeida Juliana , Asis Ramón , Gibon Yves , Fernie Alisdair R. , Rossi Magdalena , Carrari Fernando
Published: December 2013

Limitations in our understanding about the mechanisms that underlie source‐sink assimilate partitioning are increasingly becoming a major hurdle for crop yield enhancement via metabolic engineering. By means of a comprehensive approach, this work reports the functional characterization of a DnaJ chaperone related‐protein (named as SPA; sugar partition‐affecting) that is involved in assimilate partitioning in tomato plants. SPA protein was found to be targeted to the chloroplast thylakoid membranes. SPA‐RNAi tomato plants produced more and heavier fruits compared with controls, thus resulting in a considerable increment in harvest index. The transgenic plants also displayed increased pigment levels and reduced sucrose, glucose and fructose contents in leaves. Detailed metabolic and enzymatic activities analyses showed that sugar phosphate intermediates were increased while the activity of phosphoglucomutase, sugar kinases and invertases was reduced in the photosynthetic organs of the silenced plants. These changes would be anticipated to promote carbon export from foliar tissues. The combined results suggested that the tomato SPA protein plays an important role in plastid metabolism and mediates the source‐sink relationships by affecting the rate of carbon translocation to fruits.
Concerted evolution of D1 and D2 to regulate chlorophyll degradation in soybean
Authors: Fang Chao , Li Congcong , Li Weiyu , Wang Zheng , Zhou Zhengkui , Shen Yanting , Wu Mian , Wu Yunshuai , Li Guiquan , Kong Ling‐An , Liu Cuimin , Jackson Scott A. , Tian Zhixi
Published: December 2013

Polyploidy is a common phenomenon, particularly in plants. The soybean (Glycine max [L.] Merr.) genome has undergone two whole genome duplication (WGD) events. The conservation and divergence of duplicated gene pairs are major contributors to genome evolution. D1 and D2 are two unlinked, paralogous nuclear genes, whose double‐recessive mutant (d1d1d2d2) results in chlorophyll retention, called ‘stay‐green’. Through molecular cloning and functional analyses, we demonstrated that D1 and D2 are homologs of the STAY‐GREEN (SGR) genes from other plant species and were duplicated as a result of the most recent WGD in soybean. Transcriptional analysis showed that both D1 and D2 were more highly expressed in older tissues, and chlorophyll degradation and programmed cell death‐related genes were suppressed in a d1d2 double mutant, this situation indicated that these genes are probably involved in the early stages of tissue senescence. Investigation of genes that flank D1 and D2 revealed that evolution within collinear duplicated blocks may affect the conservation of individual gene pairs within the blocks. Moreover, we found that a long terminal repeat retrotransposon, GmD2IN, resulted in the d2 mutation. Further analysis of this retrotransposon family showed that insertion in or near the coding regions can affect gene expression or splicing patterns, and may be an important force to promote the divergence of duplicated gene pairs.
Arabidopsis poly(A) polymerase PAPS1 limits founder‐cell recruitment to organ primordia and suppresses the salicylic acid‐independent immune response downstream of EDS1/PAD4
Authors: Trost Gerda , Vi Son Lang , Czesnick Hjördis , Lange Peggy , Holton Nick , Giavalisco Patrick , Zipfel Cyril , Kappel Christian , Lenhard Michael
Published: December 2013

Polyadenylation of pre‐mRNAs by poly(A) polymerase (PAPS) is a critical process in eukaryotic gene expression. As found in vertebrates, plant genomes encode several isoforms of canonical nuclear PAPS enzymes. In Arabidopsis thaliana these isoforms are functionally specialized, with PAPS1 affecting both organ growth and immune response, at least in part by the preferential polyadenylation of subsets of pre‐mRNAs. Here, we demonstrate that the opposite effects of PAPS1 on leaf and flower growth reflect the different identities of these organs, and identify a role for PAPS1 in the elusive connection between organ identity and growth patterns. The overgrowth of paps1 mutant petals is due to increased recruitment of founder cells into early organ primordia, and suggests that PAPS1 activity plays unique roles in influencing organ growth. By contrast, the leaf phenotype of paps1 mutants is dominated by a constitutive immune response that leads to increased resistance to the biotrophic oomycete Hyaloperonospora arabidopsidis and reflects activation of the salicylic acid‐independent signalling pathway downstream of ENHANCED DISEASE SUSCEPTIBILITY1 (EDS1)/PHYTOALEXIN DEFICIENT4 (PAD4). These findings provide an insight into the developmental and physiological basis of the functional specialization amongst plant PAPS isoforms.
Resident lymphocytes in the dermis of the normal dorsolateral thoracic skin of alpacas
Authors: Edginton Heather D. , Peters‐Kennedy Jeanine , Scott Danny W.
Published: December 2013

Background

Small numbers of resident T lymphocytes are present in the dermis of normal skin of humans, cattle and sheep.

Hypothesis/Objectives

We wanted to determine the prevalence, numbers and immunophenotype of lymphocytes in the dermis of healthy skin from alpacas.

Animals

Skin biopsy specimens were collected from the dorsolateral thorax of 31 alpacas with normal skin.

Methods

Skin biopsy specimens were evaluated for the prevalence and numbers of CD3+ and CD79a+ lymphocytes.

Results

Resident CD3+ and CD79a+ lymphocytes were found around the superficial and deep dermal blood vessels. The CD3+ lymphocytes were more numerous than CD79a+ lymphocytes. Both CD3+ and CD79a+ lymphocytes were more numerous around superficial dermal blood vessels.

Conclusions and clinical importance

Resident CD3+ and CD79a+ lymphocytes are present around superficial and deep dermal blood vessels in normal skin from alpacas; hence, the presence of lymphocytes in these locations without obvious features of inflammation must be interpreted cautiously when evaluating skin biopsy specimens from alpacas with skin disease.
In vitro bacterial isolate susceptibility to empirically selected antimicrobials in 111 dogs with bacterial pneumonia
Authors: Proulx Alexandre , Hume Daniel Z. , Drobatz Kenneth J. , Reineke Erica L.
Published: December 2013

Objectives

To determine the proportion of airway bacterial isolates resistant to both empirically selected and recently administered antimicrobials, and to assess the impact of inappropriate initial empiric antimicrobials selection on length of hospital stay and survival to discharge in dogs with bacterial pneumonia.

Design

Retrospective study.

Setting

University veterinary teaching hospital.

Animals

One hundred and eleven dogs with a clinical diagnosis of bacterial pneumonia that had aerobic bacterial culture and susceptibility testing performed from a tracheal wash sample.

Intervention

None.

Measurements and Main Results

Overall, 26% (29/111) of the dogs had at least 1 bacterial isolate that was resistant to empirically selected antimicrobials. In dogs with a history of antimicrobial administration within the preceding 4 weeks, a high incidence (57.4%, 31/54) of in vitro bacterial resistance to those antimicrobials was found: 64.7% (11/17) in the community‐acquired pneumonia group, 55.2% (16/29) in the aspiration pneumonia group, and 50.0% (4/8) in the other causes of bacterial pneumonia group. No statistically significant association was found between bacterial isolate resistance to empirically selected antimicrobials and length of hospital stay or mortality.

Conclusions

The high proportion of in vitro airway bacterial resistance to empiric antimicrobials would suggest that airway sampling for bacterial culture and susceptibility testing may be helpful in guiding antimicrobial therapy and recently administered antimicrobials should be avoided when empirically selecting antimicrobials. Although no relationship was found between inappropriate initial empiric antimicrobial selection and length of hospital stay or mortality, future prospective studies using standardized airway‐sampling techniques, treatment modalities, and stratification of disease severity based on objective values, such as arterial blood gas analysis in all dogs with pneumonia, would be needed to determine if a clinical effect of in vitro bacterial resistance to empirically administered antimicrobials truly exists or not.