bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Fungal biosynthesis of gold nanoparticles: mechanism and scale up
Authors: Kitching Michael , Ramani Meghana , Marsili Enrico
Published: August 2014

Gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) are a widespread research tool because of their oxidation resistance, biocompatibility and stability. Chemical methods for AuNP synthesis often produce toxic residues that raise environmental concern. On the other hand, the biological synthesis of AuNPs in viable microorganisms and their cell‐free extracts is an environmentally friendly and low‐cost process. In general, fungi tolerate higher metal concentrations than bacteria and secrete abundant extracellular redox proteins to reduce soluble metal ions to their insoluble form and eventually to nanocrystals. Fungi harbour untapped biological diversity and may provide novel metal reductases for metal detoxification and bioreduction. A thorough understanding of the biosynthetic mechanism of AuNPs in fungi is needed to reduce the time of biosynthesis and to scale up the AuNP production process. In this review, we describe the known mechanisms for AuNP biosynthesis in viable fungi and fungal protein extracts and discuss the most suitable bioreactors for industrial AuNP biosynthesis.
Uterine artery Doppler in high‐risk pregnancies at 23–24 gestational weeks is of value in predicting adverse outcome of pregnancy and selecting cases for more intense surveillance
Authors: Li Na , Ghosh Gisela , Gudmundsson Saemundur
Published: August 2014

Objective

To assess the role of the placental arterial Doppler examination at 23–24 gestational weeks for predicting adverse perinatal outcome in high‐risk pregnancies.

Design

Retrospective register study.

Setting

Skåne University Hospital in Malmö.

Population

Six hundred and forty‐five women with high‐risk pregnancies, without fetal malformations or chromosomal abnormalities.

Methods

Placental (uterine and umbilical artery) Doppler ultrasound examination at 23–24 gestational weeks.

Main outcome measures

Adverse perinatal outcomes including preeclampsia, small‐for‐gestational age newborns (smaller than 3rd percentile or smaller than the 10th percentile), preterm delivery (<34 weeks or <37 weeks of gestation at delivery), cesarean section, admission to the neonatal intensive care unit and intra‐uterine fetal death.

Results

Abnormal uterine artery Doppler values were detected in 45% of this high‐risk group but abnormal umbilical artery Doppler indices were only seen in 3.7%. Adverse perinatal outcome increased significantly with increasing placental vascular impedance (p < 0.0001). There were seven cases of intrauterine fetal death and in five the uterine artery Doppler values at 23–24 weeks were abnormal. A strong correlation between abnormal uterine artery Doppler and preeclampsia was present, but not with other forms of hypertensive disorder.

Conclusion

Placental Doppler screening at 23–24 weeks can be used in detecting pregnancies at risk of adverse outcome and in selecting cases for more intense surveillance. A surveillance plan is proposed based on Doppler screening at 23–24 weeks of gestation.
The pharmacokinetics of sertraline in overdose and the effect of activated charcoal
Authors: Cooper Joyce M. , Duffull Stephen B. , Saiao Ana S. , Isbister Geoffrey K.
Published: August 2014

Aims

To investigate the pharmacokinetics (PK) of sertraline in overdose and the effect of single dose activated charcoal (SDAC).

Methods

Patients presenting to a toxicology unit with sertraline overdoses had demographic and clinical information recorded, and serial serum collected for measurement of sertraline concentrations. Monolix® version 4.2 was used to develop a population PK model of sertraline overdose and the effect of SDAC. Uncertainty in dose time was accounted for by shifting dose time using lag time with between subject variability (BSV). BSV on relative fraction absorbed was used to model uncertainty in dose.

Results

There were 77 timed sertraline concentrations measured in 28 patients with sertraline overdoses with a median dose of 1550 mg (250–5000 mg). SDAC was given to seven patients between 1.5 and 4 h post‐overdose. A one compartment model with lag time of 1 h and first order input and elimination adequately described the data. Including BSV on both lag time and relative fraction absorbed improved the model. The population PK parameter estimates for absorption rate constant, volume of distribution and clearance were 0.895 h−1, 5340 l and 130 l h−1, respectively. The calculated half‐life of sertraline following overdose was 28 h (IQR 19.4−30.6h). When given up to 4 h post‐overdose, SDAC significantly increased the clearance of sertraline by a factor of 1.9, decreased the area under the curve and decreased the maximum plasma concentration (Cmax).

Conclusions

Sertraline had linear kinetics in overdose with parameter values similar to those in therapeutic use. SDAC is effective in increasing clearance when given 1.5 to 4 h post‐overdose.
The effects of climate change and land‐use change on demographic rates and population viability
Authors: Selwood Katherine E. , McGeoch Melodie A. , Mac Nally Ralph
Published: August 2014

Understanding the processes that lead to species extinctions is vital for lessening pressures on biodiversity. While species diversity, presence and abundance are most commonly used to measure the effects of human pressures, demographic responses give a more proximal indication of how pressures affect population viability and contribute to extinction risk. We reviewed how demographic rates are affected by the major anthropogenic pressures, changed landscape condition caused by human land use, and climate change. We synthesized the results of 147 empirical studies to compare the relative effect size of climate and landscape condition on birth, death, immigration and emigration rates in plant and animal populations. While changed landscape condition is recognized as the major driver of species declines and losses worldwide, we found that, on average, climate variables had equally strong effects on demographic rates in plant and animal populations. This is significant given that the pressures of climate change will continue to intensify in coming decades. The effects of climate change on some populations may be underestimated because changes in climate conditions during critical windows of species life cycles may have disproportionate effects on demographic rates. The combined pressures of land‐use change and climate change may result in species declines and extinctions occurring faster than otherwise predicted, particularly if their effects are multiplicative.
Molecular mechanisms regulating the hormone sensitivity of breast cancer
Authors: Tokunaga Eriko , Hisamatsu Yuichi , Tanaka Kimihiro , Yamashita Nami , Saeki Hiroshi , Oki Eiji , Kitao Hiroyuki , Maehara Yoshihiko
Published: August 2014

Breast cancer is a heterogeneous disease. Approximately 70% of breast cancers are estrogen receptor (ER) positive. Endocrine therapy has dramatically improved the prognosis of ER‐positive breast cancer; however, many tumors exhibit de novo or acquired resistance to endocrine therapy. A thorough understanding of the molecular mechanisms regulating hormone sensitivity or resistance is important to improve the efficacy of and overcome the resistance to endocrine therapy. The growth factor receptor signaling pathways, particularly the phosphatidylinositol 3‐kinase (PI3K)/Akt/mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) pathway can mediate resistance to all forms of endocrine therapy. In contrast, FOXA1 transcription factor is a key determinant of ER function and endocrine response. Intriguingly, a link between hormone resistance induced by the PI3K/Akt/mTOR pathway and the function of FOXA1 has been suggested. In this review, we focus on the PI3K/Akt/mTOR pathway and functions of FOXA1 in terms of the molecular mechanisms regulating the hormone sensitivity of breast cancer.
Did ‘precautionary’ 1080 baiting have a realistic potential to eradicate Red Fox (Vulpes vulpes) in Tasmania without in situ monitoring data?
Authors: Marks Clive A. , Edwards Ivo , Obendorf David , Pereira Filipe , Hall Graham P.
Published: August 2014

Anecdotal reports in 2001 suggested that the European Red Fox (Vulpes vulpes) had been deliberately released in Tasmania and thereafter an eradication programme using buried fluoroacetic acid (1080) baits was believed to be a necessary precautionary action until mid‐2013. Prerequisites for the successful eradication of foxes relate to the scale of the undertaking and the ability to collect in situ data such as the distribution and abundance of the target population and measures of the efficacy of the control technique. Previously, 1080 baiting has demonstrated only limited potential as a fox eradication technique on islands when used on a scale between 685 and 2141 times smaller than Tasmania. In the absence of empirical monitoring data confirming the distribution or abundance of extant foxes, buried baiting was targeted to specific landscapes believed to be preferred by foxes. No empirical data was collected concerning the in situ effectiveness of baiting in Tasmania, yet an a priori assumption of lethal efficacy was extrapolated from four heterogeneous mainland studies to suggest that foxes would have only a 0.23 probability of surviving each bait treatment. We show that these studies were unrepresentative of Tasmanian baiting methods used and influenced by imprecise fox population surveys and misreported data. Overall, in the absence of key population monitoring and efficacy data, the ‘precautionary’ baiting strategy adopted did not have a realistic potential to eradicate fox incursions in Tasmania, nor is it an appropriate risk management strategy for other large offshore Australian islands. Contingency plans to counter fox incursions on offshore islands must address the currently inadequate technical capacity to reliably detect and monitor low‐density fox populations, which is an essential component of successful fox eradication.
Integrating metabolic performance, thermal tolerance, and plasticity enables for more accurate predictions on species vulnerability to acute and chronic effects of global warming
Authors: Magozzi Sarah , Calosi Piero
Published: August 2014

Predicting species vulnerability to global warming requires a comprehensive, mechanistic understanding of sublethal and lethal thermal tolerances. To date, however, most studies investigating species physiological responses to increasing temperature have focused on the underlying physiological traits of either acute or chronic tolerance in isolation. Here we propose an integrative, synthetic approach including the investigation of multiple physiological traits (metabolic performance and thermal tolerance), and their plasticity, to provide more accurate and balanced predictions on species and assemblage vulnerability to both acute and chronic effects of global warming. We applied this approach to more accurately elucidate relative species vulnerability to warming within an assemblage of six caridean prawns occurring in the same geographic, hence macroclimatic, region, but living in different thermal habitats. Prawns were exposed to four incubation temperatures (10, 15, 20 and 25 °C) for 7 days, their metabolic rates and upper thermal limits were measured, and plasticity was calculated according to the concept of Reaction Norms, as well as Q10 for metabolism. Compared to species occupying narrower/more stable thermal niches, species inhabiting broader/more variable thermal environments (including the invasive Palaemon macrodactylus) are likely to be less vulnerable to extreme acute thermal events as a result of their higher upper thermal limits. Nevertheless, they may be at greater risk from chronic exposure to warming due to the greater metabolic costs they incur. Indeed, a trade‐off between acute and chronic tolerance was apparent in the assemblage investigated. However, the invasive species P. macrodactylus represents an exception to this pattern, showing elevated thermal limits and plasticity of these limits, as well as a high metabolic control. In general, integrating multiple proxies for species physiological acute and chronic responses to increasing temperature helps providing more accurate predictions on species vulnerability to warming.
Circadian rhythms variation of pain in burning mouth syndrome
Authors: Lopez‐Jornet Pia , Molino Pagan Diana , Andujar Mateos Paz , Rodriguez Agudo Consuelo , Pons‐Fuster Alvaro
Published: August 2014

Objective

To evaluate the intensity of pain and levels of disability at different times through the day in patients with burning mouth syndrome (BMS) over a 14‐day period.

Methods

This was a prospective clinical study of 30 patients with BMS, 26 of whom completed the study. The parameters studied were pain intensity (using a visual analog scale), Disability Index (in the morning, afternoon and night), quality of life (using the Oral Health Impact Profile‐14) and the Hospital Anxiety and Depression scale (HAD).

Results

Mean pain was 5.1 ± 1.8 and disability was 2.09 ± 1.40. There were significant differences between the three pain measurements taken at different times of day: between morning and afternoon (P ≤ 0.001), morning and evening (P ≤ 0.001), and afternoon and evening (P ≤ 0.001). Regression analysis found that the mean Pain Disability Index (R2 corrected = 0.329; F = 3.44; P = 0.02) was also affected by anxiety (P = 0.036).

Conclusion

Pain and disability increase as the day progresses in patients with BMS, and are influenced by anxiety. Geriatr Gerontol Int 2015; 15: 490–495.
Comparative study of IgA VH3 gene usage in healthy TST− and TST+ population exposed to tuberculosis: deep sequencing analysis
Authors: Chin Siang Tean , Ignatius Joshua , Suraiya Siti , Tye Gee Jun , Sarmiento Maria E. , Acosta Armando , Norazmi Mohd Nor , Lim Theam Soon
Published: August 2014

The acquired immune response against tuberculosis is commonly associated with T‐cell responses with little known about the role of B cells or antibodies. There have been suggestions that B cells and humoral immunity can modulate the immune response to Mycobacterium tuberculosis. However, the mechanisms involving B‐cell responses in M. tuberculosis are not fully understood, in particular the antibody gene preferences. We hypothesized that a preferential use of V genes can be seen associated with resistance to infection mainly in the IgA isotype, which is of prominent importance for infection by pathogens via the mucosal route. We studied healthy individuals with long‐term exposure to tuberculosis, infected (TST+) and uninfected TST−) with M. tuberculosis. From a total of 22 V genes analysed, the TST− population preferred the VH3‐23 and Vκ1 genes. The VH3‐23 genes were subsequently subjected to 454 amplicon sequencing. The TST− population showed a higher frequency of the D3‐10 segment compared with the D3‐22 segment for the TST+ population. The J segment usage pattern was similar for both populations with J4 segment being used the most. A preferential pairing of J4 segments to D3‐3 was seen for the TST− population. The antibodyome difference between both populations suggests a preference for antibodies with VH3‐23, D3‐3, JH4 gene usage by the TST− population that could be associated with resistance to infection with M. tuberculosis.
c‐Jun N‐terminal kinase and Akt signalling pathways regulating tumour necrosis factor‐α‐induced interleukin‐32 expression in human lung fibroblasts: implications in airway inflammation
Authors: Li Dagen , Chen Dapeng , Zhang Xuemei , Wang Hong , Song Zixin , Xu Wenchun , He Yujuan , Yin Yibing , Cao Ju
Published: August 2014

Airway inflammatory diseases such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and asthma are associated with elevated expression of interleukin‐32 (IL‐32), a recently described cytokine that appears to play a critical role in inflammation. However, so far, the regulation of pulmonary IL‐32 production has not been fully established. We examined the expression of IL‐32 by tumour necrosis factor‐α (TNF‐α) in primary human lung fibroblasts. Human lung fibroblasts were cultured in the presence or absence of TNF‐α and/or other cytokines/Toll‐like receptor (TLR) ligands or various signalling molecule inhibitors to analyse the expression of IL‐32 by quantitative RT‐PCR and ELISA. Next, activation of Akt and c‐Jun N‐terminal kinase (JNK) signalling pathways was investigated by Western blot. Interleukin‐32 mRNA of four spliced isoforms (α, β, γ and δ) was up‐regulated upon TNF‐α stimulation, which was associated with a significant IL‐32 protein release from TNF‐α‐activated human lung fibroblasts. The combination of interferon‐γ and TNF‐α induced enhanced IL‐32 release in human lung fibroblasts, whereas IL‐4, IL‐17A, IL‐27 and TLR ligands did not alter IL‐32 release in human lung fibroblasts either alone, or in combination with TNF‐α. Furthermore, the activation of Akt and JNK pathways regulated TNF‐α‐induced IL‐32 expression in human lung fibroblasts, and inhibition of the Akt and JNK pathways was able to suppress the increased release of IL‐32 to nearly the basal level. These data suggest that TNF‐α may be involved in airway inflammation via the induction of IL‐32 by activating Akt and JNK signalling pathways. Therefore, the TNF‐α/IL‐32 axis may be a potential therapeutic target for airway inflammatory diseases.
In Vitro Degradation and Conversion of Melt‐Derived Microfibrous Borate (13‐93B3) Bioactive Glass Doped with Metal Ions
Authors: Liu Xin , Rahaman Mohamed N. , Day Delbert E.
Published: August 2014

Microfibrous melt‐derived bioactive glasses based on a borate 13‐93B3 composition are showing a considerable capacity to heal chronic soft tissue wounds in humans and animals. Metal ion dopants in borate 13‐93B3 microfibers can be beneficial for healing soft tissue wounds and bone defects but their role and delivery have received little attention. In this study, the effect of selected metal ion dopants on the degradation and conversion of 13‐93B3 microfibers in simulated body fluid at 37°C was investigated. Two groups of microfibers (diameter = 0.2–3 μm) composed of 13‐93B3 glass (composition 6 Na2O, 12 K2O, 5 MgO, 20 CaO, 4 P2O5, 53 B2O3, wt%) doped with (1) CuO (0.4 wt%) + ZnO (1.0 wt%); and (2) CuO (0.4 wt%) + ZnO (1.0 wt%) + Fe2O3 (0.4 wt%) + SrO (2.0 wt%) were studied. The metal ion dopants had little effect on the degradation of the parent 13‐93B3 glass microfibers and their conversion to an amorphous calcium phosphate (ACP) product but they inhibited the crystallization of the ACP to HA. The release of Cu and Sr ions from the glass into the medium was considerably higher than Zn and Fe ions which were retained mainly in the ACP or HA product. These results are pertinent to the design of borate bioactive glasses for optimum healing of soft tissue wounds and bone.
Poor Agreement Between Dialysis Unit Blood Pressure and Interdialytic Ambulatory Blood Pressure
Authors: Liu Wenjin , Niu Jing , Dai Chunsun , Yang Junwei
Published: August 2014

Although ambulatory blood pressure (ABP) monitoring (ABPM) is often considered to have an advantage over dialysis unit blood pressure (BP) in dialysis patients, the exact relationship between these two measurements of BP has not been well determined. In a cohort of 90 Chinese dialysis patients, agreement between dialysis unit BP (predialysis and postdialysis BP) and interdialytic ABP was evaluated using Bland‐Altman plots and Lin's concordance correlation coefficient for quantitative analysis, and inter‐rater agreement (κ) for qualitative analysis. Limits of agreement between dialysis unit BP and ABP were wide (predialysis systolic BP: −33.5 to 20.9 mm Hg; predialysis diastolic BP: −22.2 to 11.9 mm Hg; postdialysis systolic BP: −25.4 to 26.5 mm Hg; postdialysis diastolic BP: −18.4 to 12.3 mm Hg). Lin's concordance correlation coefficient exhibited a poor agreement with concordance correlation coefficients of 0.75, 0.81, 0.64, and 0.75 for predialysis systolic BP, postdialysis systolic BP, predialysis diastolic BP, and postdialysis diastolic BP, respectively. When BP level was classified into quartiles, an increasing trend for incorrect classification rate was observed with deleterious hypertension, with the highest value in grade 3 hypertension (100% and 75.0% for predialysis and postdialysis BP, respectively). Therefore, these data suggest that agreement between dialysis unit BP and interdialytic ABP is poor in Chinese dialysis patients, and the bias for patients with higher degree of hypertension is more prominent.
From a non‐target to a target: identification of a fermentation volatile blend attractive to Zaprionus indianus
Authors: Cha D. H. , Gill M. A. , Epsky N. D. , Werle C. T. , Adamczyk J. J. , Landolt P. J.
Published: August 2014

The African fig fly, Zaprionus indianus Gupta, is rapidly spreading through the New World and is a new potential pest for numerous fruit crops. Methods are needed to detect and monitor Z. indianus. A recent study shows that Z. indianus can be attracted with a mixture of wine and vinegar, but there are no chemical attractants yet identified. This fly was captured incidentally as a non‐target insect in experiments to develop chemical lures, based on wine and vinegar fermentation volatiles, for Drosophila suzukii Matsumura and Drosophila melanogaster Meigen. We then generated testable hypotheses on what combination of these volatiles was involved in Z. indianus attraction to wine and vinegar. We determined through a series of trapping experiments that the blend of ethanol, acetic acid, acetoin, isoamyl acetate, methionol and ethyl hexanoate constitutes a strong attractant for Z. indianus and accounts for its attraction to the combination of wine and vinegar. These results and findings provide the first opportunity to develop a long‐lasting and consistent chemical lure for trapping of Z. indianus. Such a lure in a suitable trap should provide a good means to document the spread of the fly and determine its seasonality and abundance in new areas and crops.
Dairy product consumption, dietary nutrient and energy density and associations with obesity in Australian adolescents
Authors: O'Sullivan T. A. , Bremner A. P. , Bremer H. K. , Seares M. E. , Beilin L. J. , Mori T. A. , Lyons‐Wall P. , Devine A. , Oddy W. H.
Published: August 2014

Background

Dairy intake is likely to influence dietary energy density (ED) and nutrient density (ND), which are factors representing aspects of dietary quality. Although evidence suggests dairy intake is unlikely to contribute to obesity, intake tends to decrease over adolescence, potentially as a result of concerns around weight gain. We examined associations between dairy intake, ED and ND, and investigated relationships with obesity in adolescents.

Methods

The present study comprised a cross‐sectional study of 1613 14‐year‐olds in the Western Australian Pregnancy Cohort (Raine) Study. Adolescents completed a 212‐item food frequency questionnaire. Nutrient Rich Food index 9.3 (NRF9.3) was used to estimate ND. Age‐specific body mass index (BMI) and waist–height cut‐offs were used to categorise obesity risk.

Results

Mean (SD) dairy intake was: 2.62 (1.51) servings daily; ED was 4.53 (0.83) (food and beverage) and 6.28 (1.33) (food only); ND was 373 (109). Dairy intake was inversely associated with ED and positively associated with ND. The odds of being overweight (as assessed by BMI) increased by 1.24 (95% confidence interval = 1.09–1.42) with each 100‐point increase in ND, after adjustment for potential confounders and energy intake. ED measures and dairy intake were inversely associated with obesity after adjustment for confounders; associations became nonsignificant after energy adjustment.

Conclusions

The NRF9.3 was originally designed to assess foods, not diets. Further research in other cohorts to determine whether similar findings exist, or investigations into alternate measures of dietary ND, may prove useful. Our findings may be the result of factors such as an excess consumption of refined but fortified foods. Although higher dairy intakes were associated with higher ND, intakes were not associated with higher obesity risk.
In vitro investigation on extensively destroyed vital teeth: is fracture force a limiting factor for direct restoration?
Authors: Schwindling F. S. , Hartmann T. , Panagidis D. , Krisam J. , Rues S. , Schmitter M.
Published: August 2014

To evaluate the in vitro fracture load of extensively damaged vital teeth after either direct or indirect restauration, severe tooth substance loss was simulated for 96 molars. Subsequently, two cavities were prepared with little (design 1) or more substantial (design 2) residual tooth support. All molars were provided with a 2‐mm ferrule design and then divided into 12 test groups based on their occlusal surface size. They were restored with composite or with either of two types of single crown (cast metal or milled zirconia). After thermal ageing (10 000 cycles at 6·5 and 60 °C), 1·2 million cycles of chewing simulation were applied (64 N). Maximum fracture load was determined with a loading angle of 45°. Statistical analysis was performed by use of Kaplan–Meier modelling, Student's t‐tests, one‐way anova, post hoc Tukey's HSD tests and linear regression analysis. Regarding mean fracture load without ageing, the indirect restorations outperformed composite (design 1: direct: 508 ± 123 N, indirect: 741 ± 248 N; design 2: direct: 554 ± 167 N, indirect: 903 ± 221 N). After artificial ageing, however, these differences were no longer significant (design 1: direct: 328 ± 189 N, indirect: 506 ± 352 N; design 2: direct 399 ± 208 N, indirect 577 ± 292 N). Instead, the fracture load of the aged composite restorations was comparable with that for zirconia (design 1) and cast metal (design 2) crowns. Fracture loads of direct composite restorations after artificial ageing might fulfil clinical requirements.
The role of p300 in the tumor progression of oral squamous cell carcinoma
Authors: Cho Young‐Ah , Hong Ji‐Soo , Choe Eun‐Jin , Yoon Hye‐Jung , Hong Seong‐Doo , Lee Jae‐Il , Hong Sam‐Pyo
Published: August 2014

Background

EP300 gene encoding p300 is a candidate tumor suppressor gene. This study investigated p300 expression and gene alteration in oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) specimens to assess its role in OSCC development.

Methods

Genomic DNA extracted from 13 human OSCC cell lines and 40 OSCC patient specimens was subjected to methylation‐specific PCR and exon sequencing. Immunohistochemical staining with primary antibodies against p300 and p53 was performed in 48 patients with OSCC. We analyzed the association between the data and clinicopathological factors of OSCC patients.

Results

Methylation‐specific PCR revealed that the EP300 promoter region was not hypermethylated in OSCC. Only one cell line demonstrated a point mutation at exon 31. On immunohistochemical examination, patients with metastatic lymph nodes (P = 0.009) and advanced clinical stage (P = 0.046) tended to show increased expression of p300. There was no statistically significant relationship between p300 expression and p53 accumulation in OSCC tissue samples. Patient survival was not correlated with p300 expression.

Conclusions

EP300 is not a tumor suppressor gene because there was neither epigenetic inactivation of the gene nor a mutation resulting in functional impairment. Based on p300 overexpression and its association with clinical factors in patients with OSCC, it is likely that p300 itself or one of its target genes plays a key role in the aggressive phenotypes of OSCC.
Association of JARID2 polymorphisms with non‐syndromic orofacial clefts in northern Chinese Han population
Authors: Hao Yanru , Mi Na , Jiao Xiaohui , Zheng Xudong , Song Tao , Zhuang Deshu , Tian Subao , Feng Dongfei
Published: August 2014

Objectives

Non‐syndromic orofacial clefts (NSOC) are the most common human craniofacial malformation in all worldwide populations. Recently, the jumoji AT‐rich interaction domain 2 (JARID2) had been reported to be a novel candidate gene for non‐syndromic cleft lip with or without cleft palate (CL/P). The SNPs rs2076056, rs2237138 and rs2299043 in JARID2 were highly significant in Italian families.

Material and Methods

In the current research, a case–control study was conducted to examine the association between these three SNPs and NSOC in a northern Chinese Han population. Genotyping of the three SNPs were performed using SNaPshot minisequencing technique.

Results

Distribution of rs2237138 genotypes in CL/P group was different from those in the control group (P = 0.04), but significant results did not persist after Benjamini and Hochberg false discovery rate (FDR) correction for multiple tests. Further logistic regression analysis showed that rs2237138 GG genotypes were associated with decreased CL/P susceptibility (OR = 0.34, 95% CI = 0.13–0.84), compared with the AA wild‐type homozygote. For the haplotype CGT, a statistically difference was identified between the CL/P group and controls (P = 0.04). And carriers of GAT haplotype were considered to be less frequent among cleft palate only group as compared to controls (P = 0.02). However, both of the haplotypes association did not remain statistically significant after Benjamini and Hochberg FDR correction.

Conclusion

We got a weak association between these polymorphisms and NSOC in both single‐marker and haplotype analyses. Our data further strengthen the conclusion that JARID2 polymorphisms are associated with NSOC susceptibility.
Body Mass Index Self‐Perception and Weight Management Behaviors During Late Adolescence
Authors: Yang Kyeongra , Turk Melanie T. , Allison Virginia L. , James Khara A. , Chasens Eileen
Published: August 2014

BACKGROUND

This study examined the relationship between actual body weight and self‐perceived weight, and how perception of one's weight affects weight management behaviors among US adolescents.

METHODS

Adolescents ages 16‐19 years with objectively‐measured weight and height and self‐reported perception of weight, weight‐loss efforts, and health‐related behaviors (N = 642) from the 2009‐2010 National Health and Nutritional Examination Survey (NHANES) were included. Sociodemographic variables, body mass index percentile, weight perception, weight‐loss efforts, and health‐related behaviors were examined using Wald chi‐square, Student's t test, analysis of variance, and logistic regression.

RESULTS

Approximately 15% were overweight, and 20% were obese; 26% inaccurately perceived their weight. Ethnic minority groups displayed higher rates of overweight and obesity. Overweight adolescents had a higher rate of inaccurate weight perception than obese adolescents. More girls correctly perceived their weight status than boys. Nearly 25% had tried to lose weight during the past year. Among overweight and obese adolescents, accurate weight perception was significantly and positively related to weight‐loss efforts after controlling for sociodemographic variables and actual weight.

CONCLUSIONS

Accurate body weight perception is a significant factor in adolescents' weight‐loss efforts. Targeting counseling for body weight perception and weight management toward boys and overweight adolescents may impact obesity in this age group.
Exploration syndromes in the frog Xenopus (Silurana) tropicalis: correlations with morphology and performance?
Authors: Videlier M. , Bonneaud C. , Cornette R. , Herrel A.
Published: August 2014

Exploration behaviour is a complex trait that may have strong implications for the fitness of individuals and the persistence of populations. Understanding the different exploration strategies is necessary to understand how animals may adapt to changes in their environment including human‐induced habitat fragmentation. Behavioural syndromes are often thought to characterize exploration behaviour, and within a population, individual strategies may vary from ‘bold’ to ‘shy’. Although our understanding of behavioural syndromes has increased enormously over the past decade, little is known about the presence of such syndromes in frogs. Yet, frogs are particularly sensitive to changes in their environment because of their ectothermic physiology and low mobility. Here, we investigate the exploration behaviour of wild‐caught male frogs under laboratory conditions to test whether distinct behavioural strategies exist. We demonstrate the presence of different behavioural syndromes with two of the syndromes that can be categorized as ‘bold’ and ‘shy’, and a third one that is clearly intermediate. These behavioural strategies are, however, independent of variation in morphology and locomotor performance indicating that these two components of mobility (i.e. behaviour and locomotor capacity) are decoupled and could thus respond differentially to selection on mobility.
Geography and Spatial Analysis in Historical Linguistics
Authors: Haynie Hannah J.
Published: August 2014

Spatial patterns associated with language contact, language spread, and isolation have been included, albeit peripherally, in traditional theories of historical linguistics. The development of mapping and spatial analysis tools, combined with innovations in quantitative approaches to diachronic linguistics, has introduced a new era in linguistic geography. Geographic research in historical linguistics, however, is largely carried out in the separate traditions of various linguistic subfields. Many commonalities exist between the questions asked and the methods applied in each of these subfields, and increased interaction across dialectometry, phylogenetics, and areal linguistics has the potential to reinvigorate linguistic geography and accelerate progress on questions about geography and the spatial outcomes of language change and language expansion.
Caught in the act: RNA‐Seq provides novel insights into mRNA degradation
Authors: Gerwig Jan , Stülke Jörg
Published: August 2014

RNA degradation is a major mechanism of post‐transcriptional control of gene expression. Moreover, the rapid turnover of bacterial mRNAs is central to the fast adaptation of these organisms to changing environmental conditions by the regulation of transcription initiation. In most bacteria, RNA processing and degradation require the concerted action of endo‐ and exoribonucleases. In Molecular Microbiology, Liu et al. (2014) have analysed RNA processing by polynucleotide phosphorylase, the major 3′–5′ exonuclease in Bacillus subtilis. For the first time, they were able to study RNA degradation by this enzyme at single nucleotide resolution. The work provides novel insights into the mechanism by which RNA degradation acts in B. subtilis. Moreover, Liu et al. demonstrate that the post‐transcriptional control of central regulators affects the expression of whole regulons.
Anaemia management in patients with chronic kidney disease: Taiwan practice guidelines
Authors: Hung Szu‐Chun , Kuo Ko‐Lin , Tarng Der‐Cherng , Hsu Chih‐Cheng , Wu Mai‐Szu , Huang Tung‐Po
Published: August 2014

The introduction of erythropoiesis‐stimulating agents (ESAs) markedly improved the lives of many anaemic patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD). In Taiwan, the strategy of management of anaemia in patients with CKD was different from many other parts of the world. In 1996, the National Health Insurance Administration of Taiwan applied a more restrictive reimbursement criteria for ESA use in patients with CKD. ESA is to be initiated when non‐dialysis CKD patients have a serum creatinine >6 mg/dL and a hematocrit <28% to maintain a hematocrit level not exceeding 30%. The maximal dose of epoetin‐α or β was 20 000 U per month. The target haemoglobin range and dose limitation for ESAs were the same for dialysis CKD patients. Thus, long before randomized controlled trials showing an increased risk for cardiovascular events at nearly normal haemoglobin concentrations and higher ESA doses in CKD, nephrologists in Taiwan had avoided the use of disproportionately high dosages of ESAs to achieve a haemoglobin level of 10–11 g/dL. Moreover, intravenous iron supplementation was encouraged earlier in Taiwan in 1996, when we reached consensus on the diagnostic criteria for iron deficiency (serum ferritin <300 ng/mL and/or transferrin saturation <30%). The experience of CKD anaemia management in Taiwan demonstrated that a reasonable haemoglobin target can be achieved by using the lowest possible ESA dose and intravenous iron supplementation.
Innovative empirical approaches for inferring climate‐warming impacts on plants in remote areas
Authors: De Frenne Pieter
Published: August 2014

The prediction of the effects of climate warming on plant communities across the globe has become a major focus of ecology, evolution and biodiversity conservation. However, many of the frequently used empirical approaches for inferring how warming affects vegetation have been criticized for decades. In addition, methods that require no electricity may be preferred because of constraints of active warming, e.g. in remote areas. Efforts to overcome the limitations of earlier methods are currently under development, but these approaches have yet to be systematically evaluated side by side. Here, an overview of the benefits and limitations of a selection of innovative empirical techniques to study temperature effects on plants is presented, with a focus on practicality in relatively remote areas without an electric power supply. I focus on methods for: ecosystem aboveground and belowground warming; a fuller exploitation of spatial temperature variation; and long‐term monitoring of plant ecological and microevolutionary changes in response to warming. An evaluation of the described methodological set‐ups in a synthetic framework along six axes (associated with the consistency of temperature differences, disturbance, costs, confounding factors, spatial scale and versatility) highlights their potential usefulness and power. Hence, further developments of new approaches to empirically assess warming effects on plants can critically stimulate progress in climate‐change biology.
Using Bayesian Models to Assess the Effects of Under‐reporting of Cannabis Use on the Association with Birth Defects, National Birth Defects Prevention Study, 1997–2005
Authors: van Gelder Marleen M. H. J. , Donders A. Rogier T. , Devine Owen , Roeleveld Nel , Reefhuis Jennita ,   National Birth Defects Prevention Study
Published: August 2014

Background

Studies on associations between periconceptional cannabis exposure and birth defects have mainly relied on self‐reported exposure. Therefore, the results may be biased due to under‐reporting of the exposure. The aim of this study was to quantify the potential effects of this form of exposure misclassification.

Methods

Using multivariable logistic regression, we re‐analysed associations between periconceptional cannabis use and 20 specific birth defects using data from the National Birth Defects Prevention Study from 1997–2005 for 13 859 case infants and 6556 control infants. For seven birth defects, we implemented four Bayesian models based on various assumptions concerning the sensitivity of self‐reported cannabis use to estimate odds ratios (ORs), adjusted for confounding and under‐reporting of the exposure. We used information on sensitivity of self‐reported cannabis use from the literature for prior assumptions.

Results

The results unadjusted for under‐reporting of the exposure showed an association between cannabis use and anencephaly (posterior OR 1.9 [95% credible interval (CRI) 1.1, 3.2]) which persisted after adjustment for potential exposure misclassification. Initially, no statistically significant associations were observed between cannabis use and the other birth defect categories studied. Although adjustment for under‐reporting did not notably change these effect estimates, cannabis use was associated with esophageal atresia (posterior OR 1.7 [95% CRI 1.0, 2.9]), diaphragmatic hernia (posterior OR 1.8 [95% CRI 1.1, 3.0]), and gastroschisis (posterior OR 1.7 [95% CRI 1.2, 2.3]) after correction for exposure misclassification.

Conclusions

Under‐reporting of the exposure may have obscured some cannabis‐birth defect associations in previous studies. However, the resulting bias is likely to be limited.
Variations in resting frontal alpha asymmetry between high‐ and low‐neuroticism females across the menstrual cycle
Authors: Huang Yamei , Zhou Renlai , Cui Hong , Wu Mengying , Wang Qingguo , Zhao Yan , Liu Yanfeng
Published: August 2014

Resting frontal alpha asymmetry measures the relative activation intensity across the left and right frontal regions that represent emotional experience. Here, the focus is on levels of alpha asymmetry between high‐ and low‐neuroticism females across the menstrual cycle. Resting alpha asymmetry in healthy females who scored high or low on neuroticism was assessed during the menstrual phase, the late follicular phase, and the midlate luteal phase. High‐neuroticism females exhibited lower relative left prefrontal activity than did low‐neuroticism females during the midlate luteal phase, as indexed by alpha1 and alphaTotal asymmetry scores at the prefrontal electrode positions (FP1/2). EEG results demonstrate that the resting frontal alpha asymmetry of high‐ and low‐neuroticism females was moderated by the menstrual cycle, and high‐neuroticism females should pay particular attention to their emotional experience during the midlate luteal phase.
Feasibility of 8‐OHdG formation and hOGG1 induction in PBMCs for assessing oxidative DNA damage in the lung of COPD patients
Authors: Yang Shifang , Wu Hongxu , Zhao Junling , Wu Xiaojie , Zhao Jianping , Ning Qin , Xu Yongjian , Xie Jungang
Published: August 2014

Background and objective

Oxidative stress has long been recognized to play a role in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD); however, approaches for assessing oxidative stress are lacking. The objective of this study was to address the feasibility of measuring 8‐oxo‐7, 8‐dihydro‐2′‐deoxyguanosine (8‐OHdG) formation and human 8‐oxoguanine DNA glycosylase (hOGG1) induction in peripheral blood mononuclear cell (PBMC) to assess oxidative deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) damage in the lung of smoking COPD patients.

Methods

PBMC were obtained from 412 participants including 129 smokers with COPD, 143 healthy smokers and 140 healthy non‐smokers. Lung tissue specimens and PBMC were obtained from smoker COPD (n = 12), healthy smokers (n = 12) and healthy non‐smokers (n = 10). 8‐OHdG and hOGG1 were detected, and correlation analysis was conducted for assessing the feasibility.

Results

Oxidative DNA damage (8‐OHdG formation) along with impaired induction of hOGG1 expression in the lung was a prominent feature for smokers COPD patients. PBMC originated from smokers COPD patients also displayed similar features to that of lung tissues. Correlation analysis suggests that PBMC could be used as a surrogate for oxidative DNA damage in lung of smokers COPD patients. Indeed, 8‐OHdG levels in PBMC DNA were negatively correlated with lung function, while hOGG1 induction in PBMC was associated with improved lung function in smokers COPD patients.

Conclusions

COPD patients manifest oxidative DNA damage of 8‐OHdG along with impaired hOGG1 expression in the lung, whereas 8‐OHdG formation and hOGG1 induction in PBMC could be a biomarker of oxidative DNA damage in the lung.
The Dutch Growth Accounts: Measuring Productivity with Non‐Zero Profits
Authors: de Haan Mark , Veldhuizen Erik , Tanriseven Murat , van Rooijen‐Horsten Myriam
Published: August 2014

Since 2007 Statistics Netherlands has been publishing multifactor productivity statistics at the macro and industry branch level. Updates of these statistics are annually released in StatLine, the online statistical database of Statistics Netherlands. In contrast to most other growth accounting exercises, the official growth accounts of Statistics Netherlands employ an exogenous rate of return to capital to calculate capital services. As a consequence, in the Dutch Growth Accounts output does not necessarily match total production costs. Supplementary to the exogenous model, Statistics Netherlands also publishes growth accounts based on endogenous rates of return. The aim of this paper is to investigate the effects of scaling up capital measurement on input cost shares, contributions to output growth, and productivity, applying both the exogenous and endogenous models. The results show that endogenous rates of return to capital are less applicable in growth accounts in which the coverage of capital is restricted to fixed assets only. The rates of return to capital converge when expanding the capital inputs with additional assets such as land, inventories, and subsoil assets. But this is not necessarily true for the capital contributions to economic growth. Finally, the capitalization of a wider range of intangible assets, beyond the SNA boundaries, has particularly for the 1995–2001 period a significant effect on the Dutch Growth Accounting results, irrespective of using either an exogenous or an endogenous rate of return to capital.
Exponential Asymptotics for Solitons in ‐Symmetric Periodic Potentials
Authors: Nixon Sean D. , Yang Jianke
Published: August 2014

Solitons in one‐dimensional parity‐time ()‐symmetric periodic potentials are studied using exponential asymptotics. The new feature of this exponential asymptotics is that, unlike conservative periodic potentials, the inner and outer integral equations arising in this analysis are both coupled systems due to complex‐valued solitons. Solving these coupled systems, we show that two soliton families bifurcate out from each Bloch‐band edge for either self‐focusing or self‐defocusing nonlinearity. An asymptotic expression for the eigenvalues associated with the linear stability of these soliton families is also derived. This formula shows that one of these two soliton families near band edges is always unstable, while the other can be stable. In addition, infinite families of ‐symmetric multisoliton bound states are constructed by matching the exponentially small tails from two neighboring solitons. These analytical predictions are compared with numerics. Overall agreements are observed, and minor differences explained.
From Political to Material Inequality: Race, Immigration, and Requests for Public Goods
Authors: Levine Jeremy R. , Gershenson Carl
Published: August 2014

Studies of political participation typically analyze voting, contentious collective action, or membership in voluntary associations. Few scholars investigate a more mundane—but highly consequential—form of neighborhood politics: requests for basic city services. We conceptualize city service requests as a direct, instrumental contact with local government that alters the geographical distribution of public goods. We hypothesize that rates of service requests vary with the ethnic and immigrant composition of neighborhoods, due to differences in these communities’ expectations of local government. We test this hypothesis using administrative data from the City of Boston. We find neighborhoods with high concentrations of first‐generation immigrants less likely to request services, relative to need. The concentration of African Americans, however, is associated with large increases in neighborhood service requests. We conclude with implications for the study of race, inequality, and political incorporation.