bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A 16-connected three-dimensional hydrogen-bonding network in tetrakis(4-aminopyridinium) perylene-3,4,9,10-tetracarboxylate octahydrate
Authors: Zhang Zhi-Hui , Wang Jin-Long , Gao Ning , He Ming-Yang
Published: June 2014

The novel title organic salt, 4C5H7N2+·C24H8O84−·8H2O, was obtained from the reaction of perylene-3,4,9,10-tetracarboxylic acid (H4ptca) with 4-aminopyridine (4-ap). The asymmetric unit contains half a perylene-3,4,9,10-tetracarboxylate (ptca4−) anion with twofold symmetry, two 4-aminopyridinium (4-Hap+) cations and four water molecules. Strong N—H...O hydrogen bonds connect each ptca4−anion with four 4-Hap+cations to form a one-dimensional linear chain along the [010] direction, decorated by additional 4-Hap+cations attached by weak N—H...O hydrogen bonds to the ptca4−anions. Intermolecular O—H...O interactions of water molecules with ptca4−and 4-Hap+ions complete the three-dimensional hydrogen-bonding network. From the viewpoint of topology, each ptca4−anion acts as a 16-connected node by hydrogen bonding to six 4-Hap+cations and ten water molecules to yield a highly connected hydrogen-bonding framework. π–π interactions between 4-Hap+cations, and between 4-Hap+cations and ptca4−anions, further stabilize the three-dimensional hydrogen-bonding network.
Dermoscopic features of actinic keratosis and follow up with dermoscopy: A pilot study
Authors: Lee Ji Hyun , Won Chae Young , Kim Gyong Moon , Kim Si Yong
Published: June 2014

Actinic keratosis (AK) is a common precursor of sun‐related squamous cell carcinoma. AK is difficult to be differentiated from other malignancies with the naked eyes. Dermoscopic features of AK were previously described in some studies, but not extensively investigated. We investigated the dermoscopic features of AK in Asians and assessed dermoscopy as a post‐treatment monitoring tool of AK. We retrospectively examined 34 AK lesions which had been diagnosed by histology. The changes of dermoscopic features and histopathological findings were assessed in all these lesions before and after treatment. Before treatment, 18 lesions were pigmented and 16 lesions were non‐pigmented AK dermoscopically. The frequent dermoscopic features of AK were keratin/scales (79.4%), red pseudonetwork (73.5%), targetoid‐like appearance (55.9%), rosette sign (38.2%) and absent fissures/ridges, crypts and milia‐like cysts. All the lesions had been treated with either photodynamic therapy, cryotherapy or 5% imiquimod cream. After treatment, dermoscopic features of 33 AK lesions were decreased or disappeared, and skin biopsies confirmed that atypical keratinocytes disappeared. One lesion showed accentuated and new dermoscopic features after treatment, and skin biopsy also showed progressing squamous cell carcinoma. In conclusion, scales, red pseudonetwork, targetoid‐like appearance and rosette sign were common dermoscopic findings of AK in Asians. In most cases, the treatment response correlated with the changes in dermoscopic features. These findings suggest that dermoscopy is a useful tool to monitor AK.
Successful differentiation of herpes zoster‐associated erythema multiforme from generalized extension of herpes by rapid polymerase chain reaction analysis
Authors: Kasuya Akira , Sakabe Jun‐ichi , Kageyama Reiko , Ikeya Shigeki , Fujiyama Toshiharu , Tokura Yoshiki
Published: June 2014

The polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assay for varicella zoster virus (VZV), herpes simplex virus (HSV)‐1 and HSV‐2 is available for use. Sometimes the differential diagnosis of the generalized herpes zoster (HZ), HSV1/2, and drug eruption is difficult. We report a case of HZ followed by the vesicular erythema multiforme (EM)‐like lesion. In this case the use of PCR was of great assistance. A 78‐year‐old Japanese man without any significant previous history of disease was admitted to our hospital complaining of zosteriform vesicle on an erythematous base from his right shoulder to the upper arm. We diagnosed him with HZ at the level of right Th2. In spite of the prompt start of antiviral therapy, a secondary new vesiculous erythema developed on his trunk. Clinically, it was quite difficult to differentiate the lesion from the generalized HZ. Rapid PCR assay of effusion and crust for VZV was performed. A PCR assay of VZV was positive for the crust taken from the primary lesion, while it was negative for the effusion and crust of the secondary widespread lesion. We diagnosed the secondary widespread lesion as an EM‐type drug eruption induced by acyclovir, or an EM associated with herpes zoster. We then stopped the use of acyclovir and applied steroid ointment of a very strong class for the secondary lesions, which improved after a few days. A PCR assay for VZV was useful for ruling out the generalized HZ in our case with secondary developed vesiculous lesions.
Measurement of cutaneous lymphatic flow rates in patients with skin cancer: area extraction method
Authors: Fujiwara Masao , Sawada Michifumi , Kasuya Akira , Matsushita Yuki , Yamada Moe , Fukamizu Hidekazu , Magata Yasuhiro , Tokura Yoshiki , Sakahara Harumi
Published: June 2014

Some recent reports have revealed that the long scintigraphic appearance time (SAT), defined as the time between radionuclide injection and first sentinel lymph node (SLN) visualization in lymphoscintigraphy, is a negative predictive parameter of nodal metastasis in patients with melanoma. However, most of the methods used to measure the SAT were ambiguous because they utilized visualization in lymphoscintigraphy. We herein introduce a novel method by which to measure the SAT and lymphatic flow rate. The data of 33 patients with primary skin cancer were used. Sequential images were obtained using dynamic lymphoscintigraphy, and a time–activity curve of the SLN was created. The time at which the counts reached plateau was newly defined as an alternative to the SAT and was termed the scintigraphic saturation time (SST). The figure obtained by division of the distance by the SST was newly defined as an alternative to the lymphatic flow rate and termed the lymphatic transit rate (LTR). The SST was clearly determined. It ranged from 220 to 1430 s (mean, 805 s). Pathological examination revealed nodal metastasis in five patients. In 28 patients without metastasis, the mean LTR was in the order of lower limbs (4.07 ± 0.35 cm/min), upper limbs (2.67 ± 0.33 cm/min), trunk (1.79 ± 0.47 cm/min), and head and neck (1.11 ± 0.22 cm/min). The LTRs were higher in patients with nodal metastasis than those without. This method may be effective for accurate measurement of the SAT and lymphatic flow rate.
Bowenoid papulosis successfully treated with imiquimod 5% cream
Authors: Shimizu Akira , Kato Madoka , Ishikawa Osamu
Published: June 2014

A 24‐year‐old healthy Japanese female was diagnosed as having bowenoid papulosis in the genital area. The histopathological findings revealed acanthosis, papillomatosis, dyskeratotic cells and clumping cells with mild atypical nuclei. Human papillomavirus type 16 was detected in the lesion. The lesion was successfully treated with topical imiquimod 5% cream after 2 months. Imiquimod 5% cream is a potentially effective treatment modality for lesions that are difficult to treat with surgical excision.
Molecular mechanisms involved in Bacillus subtilis biofilm formation
Authors: Mielich‐Süss Benjamin , Lopez Daniel
Published: June 2014

Biofilms are the predominant lifestyle of bacteria in natural environments, and they severely impact our societies in many different fashions. Therefore, biofilm formation is a topic of growing interest in microbiology, and different bacterial models are currently studied to better understand the molecular strategies that bacteria undergo to build biofilms. Among those, biofilms of the soil‐dwelling bacterium Bacillus subtilis are commonly used for this purpose. Bacillus subtilis biofilms show remarkable architectural features that are a consequence of sophisticated programmes of cellular specialization and cell–cell communication within the community. Many laboratories are trying to unravel the biological role of the morphological features of biofilms, as well as exploring the molecular basis underlying cellular differentiation. In this review, we present a general perspective of the current state of knowledge of biofilm formation in B. subtilis and thereby placing a special emphasis on summarizing the most recent discoveries in the field.
Wee1 and Cdc25 control morphogenesis, virulence and multistress tolerance of Beauveria bassiana by balancing cell cycle‐required cyclin‐dependent kinase 1 activity
Authors: Qiu Lei , Wang Juan‐Juan , Ying Sheng‐Hua , Feng Ming‐Guang
Published: June 2014

Modification of cell cycle in entomopathogenic fungi is likely crucial for host infection and environmental adaptation. Here we show that Wee1 and Cdc25 can balance cell cycle‐required cyclin‐dependent kinase 1 (Cdk1) activity in Beauveria bassiana. The Cdk1 phosporylation signal was strong in Δcdc25 but very weak in Δwee1 and absent in Δwee1Δcdc25. Consequently, cell cycles, septation patterns and many septation‐dependent gene transcripts of these mutants were reversely changed. Hyphal cells were short in Δwee1, slender in Δcdc25 and short and swollen in Δwee1Δcdc25. Conidiation was most defective in Δwee1, followed by Δcdc25. Their conidia and yeast‐like blastospores also altered antagonistically in both size and complexity, accompanied with abnormally branched germlings in Δwee1 and Δwee1Δcdc25. Conidial thermotolerance and UV‐B resistance decreased much more in Δwee1Δcdc25 than in Δwee1 but significantly increased in Δcdc25. The double deletion and the point mutation Cdk1T14A/P15F for inhibitory phosphorylation caused most defective virulence, followed by wee1 deletion. All the changes were restored by ectopic gene complementation. Virulence changes in all the mutants and control strains were highly correlated to those in blastospore size or complexity. Taken together, Wee1 and Cdc25 control cell cycle, morphogenesis, asexual development, stress tolerance and virulence of B. bassiana by balancing the Cdk1 activity.
Norwegian deep‐water coral reefs: cultivation and molecular analysis of planktonic microbial communities
Authors: Jensen Sigmund , Lynch Michael D. J. , Ray Jessica L. , Neufeld Josh D. , Hovland Martin
Published: June 2014

Deep‐sea coral reefs do not receive sunlight and depend on plankton. Little is known about the plankton composition at such reefs, even though they constitute habitats for many invertebrates and fish. We investigated plankton communities from three reefs at 260–350 m depth at hydrocarbon fields off the mid‐Norwegian coast using a combination of cultivation and small subunit (SSU) rRNA gene and transcript sequencing. Eight months incubations of a reef water sample with minimal medium, supplemented with carbon dioxide and gaseous alkanes at in situ‐like conditions, enabled isolation of mostly Alphaproteobacteria (Sulfitobacter, Loktanella), Gammaproteobacteria (Colwellia) and Flavobacteria (Polaribacter). The relative abundance of isolates in the original sample ranged from ∼ 0.01% to 0.80%. Comparisons of bacterial SSU sequences from filtered plankton of reef and non‐reef control samples indicated high abundance and metabolic activity of primarily Alphaproteobacteria (SAR11 Ia), Gammaproteobacteria (ARCTIC96BD‐19), but also of Deltaproteobacteria (Nitrospina, SAR324). Eukaryote SSU sequences indicated metabolically active microalgae and animals, including codfish, at the reef sites. The plankton community composition varied between reefs and differed between DNA and RNA assessments. Over 5000 operational taxonomic units were detected, some indicators of reef sites (e.g. Flavobacteria, Cercozoa, Demospongiae) and some more active at reef sites (e.g. Gammaproteobacteria, Ciliophora, Copepoda).
Liberal Multiculturalism and Confessional Religious Schooling
Authors: McGraw Bryan T.
Published: June 2014

Liberal multiculturalist theories argue for adopting group-specific policies as a means of securing properly liberal ends. Religious groups rarely, if ever, qualify on these accounts. This article suggests that such exclusion is unwarranted in the case of confessional religious schooling, which is meant to inculcate in students a specific set of religious beliefs and behaviors.
The hearing environment
Authors: Capewell Carmel
Published: June 2014

Glue ear, a condition resulting in intermittent hearing loss in young children, affects about 80% of young children under seven years old. About 60% of children will spend a third of their time unable to hear within normal thresholds. Teachers are unlikely to consider the sound quality in classrooms. In my research young people provided suggestions to help them hear, identifying the benefits of using their insight in improving the hearing environment. This article identifies five aspects from the literature which impact the hearing environment in classrooms. The focus is on practical low‐cost actions that teachers can implement in their classrooms, thus reducing stress levels in students and teachers.
‘Nowhere that fits’: the dilemmas of school choice for parents of children with Statements of special educational needs (SEN) in England
Authors: Bajwa‐Patel Meanu , Devecchi Cristina
Published: June 2014

Giving parents a choice with regard to their children's education has been central to the political discourse of school reform at least since the 1988 Education Reform Act (ERA). With regard to children with a Statement of special educational needs (SSEN), a plethora of policies and laws have given parents the right not only to choose a school, but also to appeal to decisions in the best interest of their children. Yet, despite the discourse of school choice, the implementation and practice of such reforms is neither assured nor simple. Participants in this study indicated that they have little choice of suitable provision and are having to compromise either the academic or the social aspects of their child's schooling. This article argues that for many parents whose children have a Statement of SEN, the choice of a school is often a dilemma, as ‘nowhere seems to fit’.
Communication through comedy: a drama and theatre project with young people for whom English is a second language
Authors: Shepherd Lisa
Published: June 2014

This article explores an eight‐month community theatre project with young people for whom English is a second language. Working as a creative practitioner facilitating young people to explore their personal stories of transition to the UK, the dramatherapist discovered comedy to be an important and poignant vehicle for expression of the emotional and psychological material associated with transition. In this article the author explores her experience of working with a group of young people who came together from all over the world to share their experiences of transition through the use of comedic theatre techniques.
Glucagon‐like peptide‐1 analog‐mediated protection against cholesterol‐induced apoptosis via mammalian target of rapamycin activation in pancreatic βTC‐6 cells 胰高血糖素样多肽‐1类似物激活mTOR通路减轻胆固醇诱导的βTC‐6细胞凋亡
Authors: Zhou Jiaqiang , Wu Jiahua , Zheng Fenping , Jin Mengshi , Li Hong
Published: June 2014

Background

Glucagon‐like peptide‐1 (GLP‐1) has been shown to protect pancreatic β‐cells against glucolipotoxicity via activation of the Akt pathway. The present study investigated the protective effects of the GLP‐1 analog liraglutide against cholesterol‐induced lipotoxicity and the mechanisms involved.

Methods

The mouse βTC‐6 pancreatic β‐cell line was preincubated for 30 min with 10 nmol/L liraglutide alone or in combination with the mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) inhibitor rapamycin (1 μmol/L) before being exposed to 5 mmol/L cholesterol for 6 h. 4′,6′‐Diamidino‐2‐phenylindole (DAPI) staining and Western blot analyses were used to assess the effects of liraglutide on cholesterol‐induced apoptosis and the phosphorylation of Akt and mTOR.

Results

Cholesterol significantly promoted cell apoptosis and attenuated the phosphorylation of Akt and mTOR, effects that were significantly reversed by liraglutide. Furthermore, rapamycin pretreatment alone significantly increased cholesterol‐induced apoptosis compared with cholesterol‐treated cells without any other pretreatment.

Conclusions

The data indicate that mTOR signaling is an essential mediator in the protection of pancreatic β‐cells against cholesterol‐induced apoptosis by a GLP‐1 analog.
Sleep quality in women with systemic lupus erythematosus: contributing factors and effects on health‐related quality of life
Authors: Mirbagher Leila , Gholamrezaei Ali , Hosseini Naeimeh , Sayed Bonakdar Zahra
Published: June 2014

Aim

Sleep quality disturbances are common in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). We evaluated sleep quality and its contributors in women with SLE. Also we evaluated the effects of sleep quality disturbance on patients' health‐related quality of life (HRQoL).

Methods

Sleep quality was assessed in 77 women with SLE (age 36.5 ± 10.1 years) using the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI). Disease activity and cumulative disease damage were assessed with standard indices. Patients completed the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale and LupusQoL. Univariate and multivariate analyses were performed to find contributors of poor sleep quality and association of sleep quality with HRQoL.

Results

Poor sleep quality was present in 44 patients (57.1%). Poor sleepers were older (P = 0.015) and had higher body mass index (P = 0.027) and more severe anxiety (P < 0.001) and depression symptoms (P < 0.007) compared with good sleepers. In the logistic regression model, age (β = 1.16, P = 0.006), disease activity (β = 1.10, P = 0.050), and anxiety/depression composite score (β = 1.16, P = 0.008) were independent contributors of poor sleep quality. Poor sleepers had impaired HRQoL in almost all domains of the LupusQoL than good sleepers (P < 0.05).

Conclusion

Poor sleep quality is common in women with SLE and significantly impairs their HRQoL. Age, disease activity and psychological factors were determinants of sleep quality in our study. Studies with objective sleep measures as well as interventional studies are warranted in this regard.
The devil wears Prada: Advertisements of luxury brands evoke feelings of social exclusion
Authors: Jiang Ming , Gao Ding‐Guo , Huang Ren , DeWall C. Nathan , Zhou Xinyue
Published: June 2014

Luxury goods symbolically represent social segregation and exclusion, thereby communicating superiority, exclusivity and distance. In three experiments, we tested the hypothesis that exposure to luxury advertisements in Chinese samples activates mental representations similar to those of social exclusion. Participants were more likely to perceive being rejected by models in the luxury advertisements than models in the non‐luxury advertisements. Moreover, exposure to luxury advertisements increased participants' expectations of being rejected in a subsequent ambiguous social interaction. Finally, looking at luxury advertisements resulted in decreased life satisfaction, and this effect was more pronounced for participants with high rejection sensitivity than those with low rejection sensitivity. Overall, the results suggest that luxury advertisements evoke feelings of social exclusion in Chinese.
Uterine‐sparing minimally invasive interventions in women with uterine fibroids: a systematic review and indirect treatment comparison meta‐analysis
Authors: Panagiotopoulou Nikoletta , Nethra Shankaralingaiah , Karavolos Stamatios , Ahmad Gaity , Karabis Andreas , Burls Amanda
Published: June 2014

Objective

To evaluate the effectiveness of uterine‐sparing interventions for women with symptomatic uterine fibroids who wish to preserve their uterus.

Design

Systematic review and indirect comparison meta‐analysis.

Methods

MEDLINE, EMBASE, CENTRAL, conference proceedings, trial registers and reference lists were searched up to October 2013 for randomized controlled trials.

Main outcome measures

Outcome measures were patient satisfaction, re‐intervention and complications rates, reproductive outcomes, and hospitalization and recovery times.

Results

Five trials, involving 436 women were included; two compared uterine artery embolization with myomectomy and three compared uterine artery embolization with laparoscopic uterine artery occlusion. Indirect treatment comparison showed that myomectomy and uterine artery embolization resulted in higher rates of patient satisfaction (odds ratio 2.56, 95% credible interval 0.56–11.75 and 2.7, 95% credible interval 1.1–7.14, respectively) and lower rates of clinical failure (odds ratio 0.29, 95% credible interval 0.06–1.46 and 0.37, 95% credible interval 0.13–0.93, respectively) than laparoscopic uterine artery occlusion. Myomectomy resulted in lower re‐intervention rate than uterine artery embolization (odds ratio 0.08, 95% credible interval 0.02–0.27) and laparoscopic uterine artery occlusion (odds ratio 0.08, 95% credible interval 0.01–0.37) even though the latter techniques had an advantage over myomectomy because of shorter hospitalization and quicker recovery. There was no evidence of difference between the three techniques in ovarian failure and complications rates. The evidence for reproductive outcomes is poor.

Conclusion

Our study's results suggest that laparoscopic uterine artery occlusion is less effective than uterine artery embolization and myomectomy in treatment of symptomatic fibroids. The choice between uterine artery embolization and myomectomy should be based on individuals' expectations and fully informed discussion.
Marketing the Entrepreneurial Artist in the Innovation Age: Aesthetic Labor, Artistic Subjectivity, and the Creative Industries
Authors: Win Thet Shein
Published: June 2014

This article analyzes marketing seminars for visual artists and arts organizations thatIattended as part of my ethnographic field research about artistic subjectivity and aesthetic labor in theCaliforniaBayArea. The marketing seminars, along with the concomitant rise of statistical data on the creative industries, reflect and generate contemporary trends that focus on crafting the visual artist as innovative entrepreneur. These entrepreneurial artists are expected to fundraise and promote their projects and to demonstrate high levels of professionalism and market savvy. While artists in theWest since the 18th century have been engaged in these types of activities, finding ways to earn a living and support their artmaking practices through forms of self‐promotion and distribution, today the emphasis has shifted to more explicitly capitalistic modes. This crafting of the ideal entrepreneurial artist mirrors broader patterns of neoliberal orientations – for example, privatization, free trade, and decreased social services. Specifically, these patterns can be detected as visual artists have become responsible for micro‐fundraising through their personal networks, promoting their own “brand,” selling their artwork directly to the public, and as artists have been encouraged by funders to collaborate with social service agencies as forms of socially engaged practices. These expectations of entrepreneurialism serve to generate additional labor for artists.
Moral Bioenhancement: Much Ado About Nothing?
Authors: de Melo‐Martin Inmaculada , Salles Arleen
Published: June 2014

Recently, some have proposed moral bioenhancement as a solution to the serious moral evils that humans face. Seemingly disillusioned with traditional methods of moral education, proponents of bioenhancement believe that we should pursue and apply biotechnological means to morally enhance human beings. Such proposal has generated a lively debate about the permissibility of moral bioenhancement. We argue here that such debate is specious. The claim that moral bioenhancement is a solution – whether permissible or not – to the serious moral problems that affect human beings is based on several problematic framing assumptions. We evaluate here three of such assumptions: the first rests on a contested understanding of morality, the second consist in a mistaken conception of human moral problems, and the third relates to problematic presuppositions grounding the interpretation of existent scientific evidence presented to defend moral bioenhancement. Once these framing assumptions are identified and critically evaluated, it becomes clear that the moral bioenhancement debate is misguided.
The mediating effect of self‐evaluation bias of competence on the relationship between parental emotional support and children's academic functioning
Authors: Côté Sébastien , Bouffard Thérèse , Vezeau Carole
Published: June 2014

Background

It is well established that children's self‐evaluation bias of competence is related to the quality of parent–child emotional relationship. Such biases are linked to children's academic functioning and achievement. Links have also been established between the quality of parent–child emotional relationship and children's academic functioning. No study has yet explored how the effects of children's emotional relationship with their parents and children's self‐evaluation bias combine to explain their academic functioning.

Aims

The first goal was to examine whether the quality of parental emotional support reported by both children and parents was related to the children's self‐evaluation bias of competence. The second goal was to examine the relationships between children's and parents' reports of emotional support, and children's academic functioning as measured by teachers' report of their motivation, self‐regulation of school activities, and academic achievement. The third goal was to determine whether a children's self‐evaluation bias mediated the relationship between parental emotional support and academic functioning.

Sample

In a 2‐year longitudinal design, participants were 524 elementary pupils (grades 4 and 5), one of their parents, and their teachers.

Results

Our results indicated that a bias in self‐evaluation in the first year of the study mediated the relationship between the quality of parental emotional support assessed at the first year and their school functioning evaluated by their teacher 1 year later.

Conclusion

The mediational model received clear support when it refers to the emotional support reported by children, but mixed support when reported by parents.
Emodin inhibits tonic tension through suppressing PKCδ‐mediated inhibition of myosin phosphatase in rat isolated thoracic aorta
Authors: Lim Kyung‐Min , Kwon Jae‐Hyuk , Kim Keunyoung , Noh Ji‐Yoon , Kang Seojin , Park Jung‐Min , Lee Moo‐Yeol , Bae Ok‐Nam , Chung Jin‐Ho
Published: June 2014

Background and Purpose

Dysregulated tonic tension and calcium sensitization in blood vessels has frequently been observed in many cardiovascular diseases. Despite a huge therapeutic potential, little is known about natural products targeting tonic tension and calcium sensitization.

Experimental Approach

We screened natural products for inhibitory effects on vasoconstriction using the rat isolated thoracic aorta and found that an anthraquinone derivative, emodin, attenuated tonic tension. Organ bath system, primary vascular smooth muscle cells, confocal microscopy and Western blot analysis were employed to demonstrate the suppressive effects of emodin on PKCδ‐mediated myosin phosphatase inhibition.

Key Results

Emodin, an active ingredient of Polygonum multiflorum extract, inhibited phenylephrine‐induced vasoconstriction in rat isolated thoracic aorta, and inhibited vasoconstriction induced by 5‐HT and endothelin‐1. It also generally suppressed vasoconstrictions mediated by voltage‐operated, store‐operated calcium channels and intracellular calcium store. However, emodin did not affect agonist‐induced calcium increases in primary smooth muscle cells. In contrast, post‐treatment with emodin following phenylephrine stimulation potently suppressed tonic tension in rat aortic rings. Western blot analysis revealed that emodin inhibited phenylephrine‐induced phospho‐myosin light chain (pMLC) and the phosphorylation of myosin‐targeting subunit and C‐kinase‐activated protein phosphatase‐1 inhibitor (CPI‐17). This was mediated by selective inhibition of PKCδ, whereas PKCα was not involved.

Conclusion and Implications

Emodin attenuates tonic tension through the blockade of PKCδ and CPI‐17‐mediated MLC‐phosphatase inhibition. This new mode of action for the suppression of tonic tension and structural insights into PKCδ inhibition revealed by emodin may provide new information for the development of modulators of tonic tension and for the treatment of hypertension.
Pharmacological tools for hydrogen sulphide research: a brief, introductory guide for beginners
Authors: Papapetropoulos Andreas , Whiteman Matthew , Cirino Giuseppe
Published: June 2014

The purpose of this brief review is to help researchers in their initial approach to the H2S field and to provide answers for the most frequently posed questions by newcomers to the topic related to H2S donors and inhibitors of H2S synthesis, as well as methods to measure H2S production. Here the reader will find a practical guide that provides fast and to the point information on how to (i) deliver H2S to cells; (ii) modulate its endogenous production; and (iii) measure its levels in fluids, cells and tissues in order to gain an understanding of its role in health and disease.

Linked Articles

This article is part of a themed section on Pharmacology of the Gasotransmitters. To view the other articles in this section visit http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/bph.2015.172.issue-6
Protective buttressing of the hominin face
Authors: Carrier David R. , Morgan Michael H.
Published: June 2014

When humans fight hand‐to‐hand the face is usually the primary target and the bones that suffer the highest rates of fracture are the parts of the skull that exhibit the greatest increase in robusticity during the evolution of basal hominins. These bones are also the most sexually dimorphic parts of the skull in both australopiths and humans. In this review, we suggest that many of the facial features that characterize early hominins evolved to protect the face from injury during fighting with fists. Specifically, the trend towards a more orthognathic face; the bunodont form and expansion of the postcanine teeth; the increased robusticity of the orbit; the increased robusticity of the masticatory system, including the mandibular corpus and condyle, zygoma, and anterior pillars of the maxilla; and the enlarged jaw adductor musculature are traits that may represent protective buttressing of the face. If the protective buttressing hypothesis is correct, the primary differences in the face of robust versus gracile australopiths may be more a function of differences in mating system than differences in diet as is generally assumed. In this scenario, the evolution of reduced facial robusticity in Homo is associated with the evolution of reduced strength of the upper body and, therefore, with reduced striking power. The protective buttressing hypothesis provides a functional explanation for the puzzling observation that although humans do not fight by biting our species exhibits pronounced sexual dimorphism in the strength and power of the jaw and neck musculature. The protective buttressing hypothesis is also consistent with observations that modern humans can accurately assess a male's strength and fighting ability from facial shape and voice quality.
Percutaneous tibial nerve stimulation vs sacral nerve stimulation for faecal incontinence: a comparative case‐matched study
Authors: Al Asari S. , Meurette G. , Mantoo S. , Kubis C. , Wyart V. , Lehur P.‐A.
Published: June 2014

Aim

The study assessed the initial experience with posterior tibial nerve stimulation (PTNS) for faecal incontinence and compared it with sacral nerve stimulation (SNS) performed in a single centre during the same timespan.

Method

A retrospective review of a prospectively collected database was conducted at the colorectal unit, University Hospital, Nantes, France, from May 2009 to December 2010. Seventy‐eight patients diagnosed with chronic severe faecal incontinence underwent neurostimulation including PTNS in 21 and SNS in 57. The main outcome measures were faecal incontinence (Wexner score) and quality of life (Fecal Incontinence Quality of Life, FIQL) scores in a short‐term follow‐up.

Results

No significant differences were observed in patients' characteristics. Of 57 patients having SNS, 18 (32%) failed peripheral nerve evaluation and 39 (68%) received a permanent implant. Two (5%) developed a wound infection. No adverse effects were recorded in the PTNS group. There was no significant difference in the mean Wexner and FIQL scores between patients having PTNS and SNS at 6 (P = 0.39 and 0.09) and 12 months (P = 0.79 and 0.37). A 50% or more improvement in Wexner score was seen at 6 and 12 months in 47% and 30% of PTNS patients and in 50% and 58% of SNS patients with no significant difference between the groups.

Conclusion

Posterior tibial nerve stimulation is a valid method of treating faecal incontinence in the short term when conservative treatment has failed. It is easier, simpler, cheaper and less invasive than SNS with a similar short‐term outcome.
Intra‐arterial methylene blue injection into ex vivo colorectal cancer specimens improves lymph node staging accuracy: a randomized controlled trial
Authors: Borowski D. W. , Banky B. , Banerjee A. K. , Agarwal A. K. , Tabaqchali M. A. , Garg D. K. , Hobday C. , Hegab M. , Gill T. S.
Published: June 2014

Aim

A randomized controlled trial was carried out to study the effect of a recently proposed technique of ex vivo intra‐arterial methylene blue injection of the surgical specimen removed for colorectal cancer on lymph node harvest and staging.

Method

Between May 2012 and February 2013, 100 consecutive colorectal cancer resection specimens in a single institution were randomly assigned to intervention (methylene blue injection) and control (standard manual palpation technique) groups before formalin fixation. The specimen was then examined by the histopathologist for lymph nodes.

Results

Both groups were similar for age, sex, site of tumour, operation and tumour stage. In the intervention group, a higher number of nodes was found [median 23 (5–92) vs 15 (5–37), P < 0.001], with only one specimen not achieving the recommended minimum standard of 12 nodes [1/50 (2%) vs 8/50 (16%), P = 0.014]. However, there was no upstaging effect in the intervention group [23/50 (46.0%) vs 20/50 (40.0%); P = 0.686]. With a significantly lower number of nodes harvested in rectal cancer, the positive effect of the intervention was particularly observed in the patients who underwent preoperative neoadjuvant radiotherapy [median 30 nodes (12–57) vs 11 (7–15); P = 0.011; proportion of cases with < 12 nodes 0/5 vs 5/8 (62.5%), P = 0.024].

Conclusion

Ex vivo intra‐arterial methylene blue injection increases lymph node yield and can help to reduce the number of cases with a lower‐than‐recommended number of nodes, particularly in patients with rectal cancer having neoadjuvant treatment. The technique is easy to perform, cheap and saves time.
Kin rejection: social signals, neural response and perceived distress during social exclusion
Authors: Sreekrishnan Anirudh , Herrera Tania A. , Wu Jia , Borelli Jessica L. , White Lars O. , Rutherford Helena J.V. , Mayes Linda C. , Crowley Michael J.
Published: June 2014

Across species, kin bond together to promote survival. We sought to understand the dyadic effect of exclusion by kin (as opposed to non‐kin strangers) on brain activity of the mother and her child and their subjective distress. To this end, we probed mother–child relationships with a computerized ball‐toss game Cyberball. When excluded by one another, rather than by a stranger, both mothers and children exhibited a significantly pronounced frontal P2. Moreover, upon kin rejection versus stranger rejection, both mothers and children showed incremented left frontal positive slow waves for rejection events. Children reported more distress upon exclusion than their own mothers. Similar to past work, relatively augmented negative frontal slow wave activity predicted greater self‐reported ostracism distress. This effect, generalized to the P2, was limited to mother‐ or child‐rejection by kin, with comparable magnitude of effect across kin identity (mothers vs. children). For both mothers and children, the frontal P2 peak was significantly pronounced for kin rejection versus stranger rejection. Taken together, our results document the rapid categorization of social signals as kin relevant and the specificity of early and late neural markers for predicting felt ostracism.
Fathers' versus mothers' social referencing signals in relation to infant anxiety and avoidance: a visual cliff experiment
Authors: Möller Eline L. , Majdandžić Mirjana , Bögels Susan M.
Published: June 2014

Infants use signals from others to guide their behavior when confronted with novel situations, a process called ‘social referencing’ (SR). Via SR, signs of parental anxiety can lead to infant anxiety. Little is known about differences in the effect of paternal and maternal SR signals on child anxiety. Using a visual cliff paradigm, we studied whether SR processes between fathers and their infants differed from mothers and their infants. Eighty‐one infants aged 10–15 months were randomly assigned to conduct the visual cliff task with their father (n = 41) or mother (n = 40). The infant was placed on the shallow side of the cliff and the parent, standing at the deep side, was instructed to encourage the infant to cross. Results showed that although mothers showed more intense facial expressions of encouragement than fathers, no differences occurred in how fast, and with how much anxiety, infants crossed the cliff with fathers and mothers. However, path analyses showed that paternal, but not maternal, expressed anxiety was positively associated with infant expressed anxiety and avoidance. For infants who participated with their mother, infants' anxious temperament was negatively associated with infant avoidance of the cliff. Infant anxious temperament moderated the link between paternal expressed anxiety and infant avoidance: the higher the level of infant anxious temperament the stronger the positive association between paternal expressed anxiety and infant's avoidance of the cliff. Lastly, parental encouragement was unrelated to infant expressed anxiety and avoidance. Our results suggest that SR processes between fathers and their infants differ from those between mothers and their infants.
A Modest Proposal
Authors: Oldenburg Mark
Published: June 2014

The language of “consecration” to describe what the presider does at Holy Communion seems to have many more drawbacks than advantages.  Based on a misunderstanding of the Institution Narratives, it nurtures an understanding of the Sacrament centered on the presider and the elements, while marginalizing the assembly.  It leads to the unthinking adoption of practices with significant theological hazards.  In every way, “presiding” is to be preferred.
The Sign of Unity and the Bond of Charity: On the Eucharist as a “Taskmaster” in the Context of Global Migration
Authors: Suna‐Koro Kristine
Published: June 2014

What does the Eucharist—seen as the source and summit of Christian life and the “meeting‐point on which all the issues of theology converge” (Y.Brilioth) have to do with migrants and refugees? Regardless of how we celebrate the Eucharist, we all have to negotiate ways of living together within the interdependent destiny of globalization. Precisely within this global conviviality, the sacramental and mystical radicalism of unity and love that Martin Luther advocated in his eucharistic theology invites serious consideration but also equally serious contextualization.
“You Must Follow Our Belief or Else You Can't Receive God”: Constructing a Sexual Bi/Theology of Eucharist
Authors: Goh Joseph N.
Published: June 2014

Embodied experiences and insights of LGBTQ persons can challenge and contradict grand metanarratives of sacramental theology that exclude and/or censure these persons. Through a theological investigation of the narratives of Vincent, a 26‐year old Malaysian, I examine the dynamics of his self‐identifying as bisexual and Roman Catholic in relation to his perception of the Eucharist. Drawing from his narratives and aided by the theologisings of Marcella Althaus‐Reid, Andrea Bieler and Luise Schottroff, I explore alternative ways in which the Eucharist can be imagined for LGBTQ Christians.
A justification for less restrictive guidelines on the use of metformin in stable chronic renal failure
Authors: Adam W. R. , O'Brien R. C.
Published: June 2014

Aim

The aim was to justify less restrictive use of metformin in stable chronic renal failure, because a literature review reveals metformin is associated with a significantly lower incidence of cardiovascular events and mortality compared with other hypoglycaemic agents, and metformin‐associated lactic acidosis is rare and causation uncertain. Studies on intentional metformin overdose and metformin bioavailability, renal clearance and plasma metformin in renal impairment provide evidence in support of a less restrictive use of metformin.

Methods

In metformin overdose (n = 22), lactic acidosis was not inevitable with a plasma metformin > 40 mg/l (therapeutic level c. 1 mg/l): Severe lactic acidosis (pH ≤ 7.21, plasma lactate ≥ 11 mmol/l, n = 8) did not occur unless plasma metformin was > 40 mg/l. Plasma lactate was a more consistent predictor of pH than plasma metformin, with plasma lactate ≤ 4.7 being associated with a pH ≥ 7.34. A likely ‘safe’ plasma lactate is < 3.5 mmol/l and plasma metformin < 10 mg/l.

Results

Plasma metformin can be predicted from estimated glomerular filtration rate and metformin dose. Reported plasma metformin in renal failure was always less than predicted plasma metformin. Predicted plasma metformin (mg/l), with an estimated glomerular filtration rate of 30 ml/min and metformin 2000 mg/day was 6.8; an estimated glomerular filtration rate of 20 ml/min and metformin 1500 mg/day was 5.1; an estimated glomerular filtration rate of 10 ml/min and metformin 500 mg/day was 4.4.

Conclusion

Metformin accumulates in renal failure and, although accumulation does not always lead to lactic acidosis, dose modification to achieve a predicted plasma metformin < 10 mg/l is suggested. As plasma metformin is not routinely available, plasma lactate should be useful in monitoring the use of metformin in renal failure.
Hurricane wrack generates landscape‐level heterogeneity in coastal pine savanna
Authors: Platt William J. , Joseph Dwayne , Ellair Darin P.
Published: June 2014

Wrack (vegetation debris) deposited by storm surges of major hurricanes along the northern Gulf of Mexico produces depressant effects that vary from partial to complete mortality of groundcover vegetation in coastal savannas. As wrack decomposes or is relocated by a subsequent hurricane, patches are opened to colonization. We postulated that patterns of wrack deposition and removal, coupled with differential responses by savanna plant species should produce alternate states of groundcover vegetation. We explored extreme effects of wrack deposited by Hurricane Katrina (2005) in savannas dominated by slash pinePinus elliottiiand cordgrassSpartina patensand located above mean high tide at the Grand Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve, Mississippi, USA. In 2008, we established plots in adjacent areas with and without wrack deposits. Almost no groundcover plant species occurred in wrack deposits compared to adjacent groundcover without wrack. We simulated redistribution of wrack during a new storm surge by removing wrack from replicated plots and depositing it in plots without wrack, recording plant species in treatment and control plots before, then one month and one year after manipulations. One year later, about half the species present before wrack addition (especially dominant graminoids) grew back through redistributed wrack, suggesting that some species were resistant to burial of limited amounts of wrack. Wrack removal resulted in germination and establishment of numerous herbaceous plant species not in undisturbed groundcover, doubling total aboveground numbers of species in the pine savanna and shifting groundcover communities to alternate states not present prior to Katrina. Removal of wrack opens space colonized by resilient species, including those transported in wrack and those surviving intervals between disturbances belowground. Wrack dynamics (deposition and removal) generated alternate states that resulted from resistance‐ and resilience‐driven changes in different patches of groundcover in coastal savannas.
Fragmentation, vegetation change and irruptive competitors affect recruitment of woodland birds
Authors: Bennett Joanne M. , Clarke Rohan H. , Thomson James R. , Mac Nally Ralph
Published: June 2014

Climate change may amplify the adverse effects of fragmentation by also affecting interspecific interactions. Increased competition may reduce the ability of already stressed species to acquire resources (breeding sites and food), reducing recruitment and the long‐term viability of species. We assessed how measures of recruitment of native birds were influenced by the area of native vegetation, vegetation characteristics, vegetation change as an indication of degradation, and the occurrence of an increasingly prevalent native competitor (the noisy minerManorina melanocephala). We recorded avian breeding behavior on 120 forest transects in the box‐ironbark forests of south‐eastern Australia, in 2010–2011. On the same transects, we measured vegetation characteristics that had previously been measured in 1995–1997 to assess vegetation change during a 13‐yr drought. Vegetation area and the abundance of the noisy miner had a greater effect on species’ breeding behavior than did local vegetation characteristics and vegetation degradation. Greater abundances of the noisy miner reduced breeding activities of species with a body mass smaller than the noisy miner (< 63 g), while breeding increased in some larger (> 63 g) species. Recruitment measures for the noisy miner were positively associated with smaller fragments and greater vegetation change indicating that fragmentation and vegetation degradation have facilitated the colonization or recruitment by the noisy miner. The interaction between climate change, fragmentation and vegetation degradation appears to have led to increased effects of interspecific competition in fragments of native vegetation, with potential adverse effects on the viability of many bird species. The spread and increasing abundance of a hyperaggressive native species suggests that species assemblages will be increasingly disrupted by the interacting effects of climate change, fragmentation, degradation and interspecific interactions.