bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Are species' responses to global change predicted by past niche evolution?
Authors: Lavergne Sébastien , Evans Margaret E. K. , Burfield Ian J. , Jiguet Frederic , Thuiller Wilfried
Published: December 2012

Predicting how and when adaptive evolution might rescue species from global change, and integrating this process into tools of biodiversity forecasting, has now become an urgent task. Here, we explored whether recent population trends of species can be explained by their past rate of niche evolution, which can be inferred from increasingly available phylogenetic and niche data. We examined the assemblage of 409 European bird species for which estimates of demographic trends between 1970 and 2000 are available, along with a species-level phylogeny and data on climatic, habitat and trophic niches. We found that species' proneness to demographic decline is associated with slow evolution of the habitat niche in the past, in addition to certain current-day life-history and ecological traits. A similar result was found at a higher taxonomic level, where families prone to decline have had a history of slower evolution of climatic and habitat niches. Our results support the view that niche conservatism can prevent some species from coping with environmental change. Thus, linking patterns of past niche evolution and contemporary species dynamics for large species samples may provide insights into how niche evolution may rescue certain lineages in the face of global change.
Proteome Analysis in Arabidopsis Reveals Shoot- and Root-Specific Targets of Cytokinin Action and Differential Regulation of Hormonal Homeostasis
Authors: Žd'árská Markéta , Zatloukalová Pavlína , Benítez Mariana , Šedo Ondrej , Potě¡il David , Novák Ondřej , Svačinová Jana , Pe¡ek Bedřich , Malbeck Jiří , Va¡íčková Jana , Zdráhal Zbyněk , Hejátko Jan
Published: December 2012

The plant hormones cytokinins (CKs) regulate multiple developmental and physiological processes in Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana). Responses to CKs vary in different organs and tissues (e.g. the response to CKs has been shown to be opposite in shoot and root samples). However, the tissue-specific targets of CKs and the mechanisms underlying such specificity remain largely unclear. Here, we show that the Arabidopsis proteome responds with strong tissue and time specificity to the aromatic CK 6-benzylaminopurine (BAP) and that fast posttranscriptional and/or posttranslational regulation of protein abundance is involved in the contrasting shoot and root proteome responses to BAP. We demonstrate that BAP predominantly regulates proteins involved in carbohydrate and energy metabolism in the shoot as well as protein synthesis and destination in the root. Furthermore, we found that BAP treatment affects endogenous hormonal homeostasis, again with strong tissue specificity. In the shoot, BAP up-regulates the abundance of proteins involved in abscisic acid (ABA) biosynthesis and the ABA response, whereas in the root, BAP rapidly and strongly up-regulates the majority of proteins in the ethylene biosynthetic pathway. This was further corroborated by direct measurements of hormone metabolites, showing that BAP increases ABA levels in the shoot and 1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylic acid, the rate-limiting precursor of ethylene biosynthesis, in the root. In support of the physiological importance of these findings, we identified the role of proteins mediating BAP-induced ethylene production, METHIONINE SYNTHASE1 and ACC OXIDASE2, in the early root growth response to BAP.
Intraguild predation in winter wheat: prey choice by a common epigeal carabid consuming spiders
Authors: Davey Jeffrey S. , Vaughan Ian P. , Andrew King R. , Bell James R. , Bohan David A. , Bruford Michael W. , Holland John M. , Symondson William O. C.
Published: December 2012

Predators can provide a valuable ecosystem service by suppressing crop pests. However, intraguild predation, where predators compete for the same prey resource whilst consuming each other, may destabilize population dynamics and increase the risk of pest outbreaks. Very little is known about intraguild predation in open fields or the strengths of trophic links between predators which may negatively affect pest control.

We tested the null hypothesis that predation by the epigeal predator Pterostichus melanarius (Coleoptera: Carabidae) on different spiders is species‐independent (proportional to density). A combination of population monitoring in winter wheat, molecular identification of juvenile spiders, molecular analysis of predator gut contents and a Monte Carlo simulation model were used to analyse prey choice.

Pterostichus melanarius were pitfall‐trapped over three months, and 622 individuals were screened for the remains of four spider species. Predation rates on spiders were 43·6% in June and 33·3% in August and showed clear evidence of prey choice.

Predation on the web‐dependent Tenuiphantes tenuis (Linyphiidae) was significantly greater than predicted from a random choice model, while predation on Bathyphantes gracilis (Linyphiidae) was significantly lower. The beetles may be selecting the most abundant species disproportionately (switching) or responding in some cases to spatial niche separation (T. tenuis locate their webs marginally lower than B. gracilis). However, two itinerant hunters, Erigone spp. (Linyphiidae) and Pachygnatha degeeri (Tetragnathidae), were consumed in proportion to their density.

Synthesis and applications. High levels of intraguild predation were revealed using molecular diagnostics. The gut analysis approach provided invaluable data that will inform the future design of appropriate pest management and integrated farming strategies that encourage these predators. The data showed strong evidence of prey choice. Managers can, however, probably encourage high densities of all these known aphid predators (spiders and carabids) because disproportionately high rates of predation on the most common spiders at our field sites (T. tenuis) were not sufficient to prevent strong growth in the density of this species between June and August (adults increased × 1·6 and juveniles × 8·6). Such work is essential if we are to reveal the processes behind functional biodiversity in crops.
Multiple promoters and targeted microRNAs direct the expressions of HMGB3 gene transcripts in dairy cattle
Authors: Li Liming , Huang Jinming , Ju Zhihua , Li Qiuling , Wang Changfa , Qi Chao , Zhang Yan , Hou Qinlei , Hang Suqin , Zhong Jifeng
Published: December 2012

HMGB3 (high‐mobility group box 3) is an X‐linked member of a family of sequence‐independent chromatin‐binding proteins and functions as a universal sentinel for nucleic acid–mediated innate immune responses. The splice variant expression, promoter characterization and targeted microRNAs of the bovine HMGB3 gene were investigated to explore its expression pattern and possible regulatory mechanism. The results revealed that the expression of HMGB3 transcript variants 1 and 2 (HMGB3‐TV1 and HMGB3‐TV2) mRNA in the mastitis‐infected mammary gland tissues was up‐regulated by 8.46‐ and 5.31‐fold respectively compared with that in healthy tissues (P < 0.05). HMGB3‐TV1 was highly expressed in the mammary gland tissues, whereas HMGB3‐TV2 was expressed primarily in liver. Functional analyses indicated that HMGB3 transcription is regulated by three distinct promoters – promoters 1, 2 and 3 (P1, P2 and P3) – resulting in two alternative transcripts with the same 3′‐untranslated region. Promoter luciferase activity analysis suggested that the core sequences of P1 and P2 were mapped in the region of g.1535 to ~g.2076 and g.2074 to ~g.2491 respectively. The g.5880C>T SNP in P3 affected its base promoter activity, and different genotypes were associated with the bovine somatic count score. The expression of targets bovine miR‐17‐5p, miR‐20b and miR‐93 of the HMGB3 gene was down‐regulated 1.56‐, 1.72‐ and 2.94‐fold respectively in mammary gland tissues as compared with that in healthy tissues (P < 0.05). The findings suggest that HMGB3 expression is under complex transcriptional and post‐transcriptional control by alternate promoter usage, alternative splicing mechanism and microRNAs in dairy cattle.
Treatment of the bronchial tree from beginning to end: targeting small airway inflammation in asthma
Authors: van den Berge M. , ten Hacken N. H. T. , van der Wiel E. , Postma D. S.
Published: December 2012

Asthma is a chronic respiratory disease, characterized by airway obstruction and inflammation. Increasing evidence shows that the small airways contribute significantly to the clinical expression and severity of asthma. Traditionally, high levels of disease activity are thought to be necessary before symptoms occur in the small airways because of their large reserve capacity. However, this concept is being challenged and increasing evidence shows small airway disease to be associated with symptoms, disease severity, and bronchial hyper‐responsiveness. Particle size and distribution are of key importance when developing inhaled treatments for small airway disease. The availability of small‐particle aerosols such as HFA‐ciclesonide and HFA‐beclomethasone dipropionate (HFA‐BDP) enables a higher drug deposition into the peripheral lung and potentially provides additional clinical benefits compared with large‐particle treatment. However, improved methods are needed to monitor and assess small airway disease and its response to treatment because conventional spirometry mainly reflects large airway function. This remains a challenging area requiring further research. The aim of the current manuscript is to review the clinical relevance of small airway disease and the implications for the treatment of asthma.
Medical emergencies: pulmonary embolism and acute severe asthma
Authors: Somasundaram K. , Ball J.
Published: December 2012

In this, the second of two articles covering specific medical emergencies, we discuss the definitions, epidemiology, pathophysiology, acute and chronic management of pulmonary embolus and acute severe asthma.
Paediatric emergencies
Authors: McDougall R. J.
Published: December 2012

The care of sick children can be challenging for the anaesthetist who is only involved in the occasional care of paediatric patients. This paper outlines the care of medical and surgical paediatric emergencies for which an anaesthetist working at a district general hospital or equivalent may encounter. Conditions discussed include paediatric respiratory emergencies, sepsis, status epilepticus, the acute abdomen in the newborn, intussusception, the bleeding tonsil, trauma and the child with burns.
Organisation and planning of anaesthesia for emergency surgery
Authors: Gray L. D. , Morris C. G.
Published: December 2012

Patients presenting for emergency surgery represent a category at high risk of complications, with substantial morbidity and mortality, whose management may be extremely challenging. In this first of two articles we consider the identification and evaluation of high risk emergency patients, the provision of critical care support, the management of sepsis, common postoperative complications and in‐theatre death.
Paediatric bone and joint infections are more common in boys and toddlers: a national epidemiology study
Authors: Grammatico‐Guillon L , Maakaroun Vermesse Z , Baron S , Gettner S , Rusch E , Bernard L
Published: December 2012

Aim

Little is known about bone and joint infections (BJIs) in children, despite the risk of growth disturbance. This study examined BJIs epidemiology using the French National Hospital Discharge Database (HD).

Methods

Any child <15 years hospitalized with an HD diagnosis of BJI, alone or in combination with sepsis or orthopaedic procedure, was included. The majority of BJIs (96%) were haematogenic infections. We conducted descriptive analyses to evaluate epidemiological and economic outcomes of paediatric haematogenic BJIs.

Results

There were 2592 paediatric patients with 2911 BJI hospitalizations and an overall incidence of 22 per 100 000. BJIs occurred more frequently in boys than girls (24 vs 19 per 100 000) and in toddlers. Septic arthritis (52%) and osteomyelitis (44%) were the most frequent infections, 16.6% of patients had a micro‐organism coded (61% were Staphylococci) and 13% of had comorbidities. The mean hospital stay was 8.6 days, costing approximately €5200 per BJI stay.

Conclusion

This national study of paediatric BJIs in France showed a higher prevalence in toddlers and boys and demonstrated that the HD database can be used to study BJIs. However, the number of BJI cases was maybe overestimated by coding reactive arthritis as septic arthritis in the absence of bacterial evidence.
Have the boundaries of the ‘grey zone’ of perinatal resuscitation changed for extremely preterm infants over 20 years?
Authors: Condie J , Caldarelli L , Tarr L , Gray C , Rodriquez T , Lantos J , Meadow W
Published: December 2012

Aim

To determine the boundaries of the grey zone of discretionary resuscitation over the past 20 years.

Background

As the likelihood of survival improves over time, the BW‐ and GA‐specific boundaries of discretionary nonresuscitation should fall.

Hypothesis

Between 1988 and 2008 reductions in BW‐ and GA‐specific mortality would drive a parallel reduction in BW and GA boundaries of discretionary resuscitation.

Methods

We determined the likelihood of resuscitation and survival to NICU discharge for all infants born <700 g or <26 gestational weeks from 1988 to 2008. In addition, for 1988, 1993, 1998, 2003 and 2008, we determined the BW and GA for the 10 smallest infants who were resuscitated, and the 10 largest infants who were not resuscitated. We excluded any infant born with congenital anomaly.

Results

Mortality fell from 80% in 1988 to 28% in 2008, and as expected, the percentage who were resuscitated rose from 63% in 1988–93 to 95% in 2004–2008. However, unexpectedly, over the 20‐year study period, the smallest infants who were resuscitated despite extreme immaturity did not change (450–550 g and 23–24 weeks) and the largest infants not resuscitated did not change (600–700 g and 23–24 weeks.

Conclusion

Neither the BW nor GA boundaries of the grey zone of discretionary resuscitation have fallen over the past 20 years. Factors guiding resuscitation at the border of viability are complex and incompletely understood.
The influence of kidney function on dapagliflozin exposure, metabolism and pharmacodynamics in healthy subjects and in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus
Authors: Kasichayanula Sreeneeranj , Liu Xiaoni , Pe Benito Melanie , Yao Ming , Pfister Marc , LaCreta Frank P. , Humphreys William Griffith , Boulton David W.
Published: December 2012

Aim(s)

This study assessed the effect of differences in renal function on the pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of dapagliflozin, a renal sodium glucose co‐transporter‐2 (SGLT2) inhibitor for the treatment of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM).

Methods

A single 50 mg dose of dapagliflozin was used to assess pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics in five groups: healthy non‐diabetic subjects; patients with T2DM and normal kidney function and patients with T2DM and mild, moderate or severe renal impairment based on estimated creatinine clearance. Subsequently, 20 mg once daily multiple doses of dapagliflozin were evaluated in the patients with T2DM. Formation rates of dapagliflozin 3‐O‐glucuronide (D3OG), an inactive metabolite, were evaluated using human isolated kidney and liver microsomes.

Results

Plasma concentrations of dapagliflozin and D3OG were incrementally increased with declining kidney function. Steady‐state Cmax for dapagliflozin were 4%, 6% and 9% higher and for D3OG were 20%, 37% and 52% higher in patients with mild, moderate and severe renal impairment, respectively, compared with normal function. AUC(0,τ) was likewise higher. D3OG formation in kidney microsomes was three‐fold higher than in liver microsomes and 109‐fold higher than in intestine microsomes. Compared with patients with normal renal function, pharmacodynamic effects were attenuated with renal impairment. Steady‐state renal glucose clearance was reduced by 42%, 83% and 84% in patients with mild, moderate or severe renal impairment, respectively.

Conclusions

These results indicate that both kidney and liver significantly contribute to dapagliflozin metabolism, resulting in higher systemic exposure with declining kidney function. Dapagliflozin pharmacodynamics in diabetic subjects with moderate to severe renal impairment are consistent with the observation of reduced efficacy in this patient population.
MicroRNAs and lymphomagenesis: a functional review
Authors: Lawrie Charles H.
Published: December 2012

The relatively recent discovery of microRNAs (miRNAs) has exposed an extra layer of gene expression regulation that affects many physiological and pathological processes of biology. Dysregulation of miRNAs is a ubiquitous feature of cancer in general, including lymphomas. The identity of these aberrantly‐expressed miRNAs has been thoroughly investigated in all but a few types of lymphomas, however their functional role in lymphomagenesis much less so. This review focuses on those miRNAs that have an experimentally confirmed functional role in the pathogenesis of the most frequent forms of lymphoma. In particular, the MIR15A/16‐1 cluster, MIR21, MIR155, MIR17HG (MIR17‐92 cluster), MIR34A and MIR125B, which have in vivo animal model evidence for their involvement in lymphomagenesis, are highlighted.
From an Atypical Wake‐promoting Agent to Potent Histamine‐3 Receptor Inverse Agonists
Authors: Dunn Derek , Raddatz Rita , Ator Mark A. , Bacon Edward R. , Chatterjee Sankar
Published: December 2012

Utilizing atypical wake‐promoting agent modafinil (inactive in both rH3 and hH3 binding assays) as a launching pad, a series of sulfinyl‐ and sulfone‐derived H3 receptor inverse agonists were developed. Brain‐permeable compound 27, a potent member of the series displayed excellent selectivity against related family members (H1, H2, and H4 receptors).
SOLVING ABSTRACT COOPERATIVE PATH‐FINDING IN DENSELY POPULATED ENVIRONMENTS
Authors: Surynek Pavel
Published: December 2012

The problem of cooperative path‐finding is addressed in this work. A set of agents moving in a certain environment is given. Each agent needs to reach a given goal location. The task is to find spatial temporal paths for agents such that they eventually reach their goals by following these paths without colliding with each other. An abstraction where the environment is modeled as an undirected graph is adopted—vertices represent locations and edges represent passable regions. Agents are modeled as elements placed in the vertices while at most one agent can be located in a vertex at a time. At least one vertex remains unoccupied to allow agents to move. An agent can move into unoccupied neighboring vertex or into a vertex being currently vacated if a certain additional condition is satisfied. Two novel scalable algorithms for solving cooperative path‐finding in bi‐connected graphs are presented. Both algorithms target environments that are densely populated by agents. A theoretical and experimental evaluation shows that the suggested algorithms represent a viable alternative to search based techniques as well as to techniques employing permutation groups on the studied class of the problem.
Understanding relationships between autism, intelligence, and epilepsy: a cross‐disorder approach
Authors: van EEGHEN AGNIES M , PULSIFER MARGARET B , MERKER VANESSA L , NEUMEYER ANN M , van EEGHEN ELMER E , THIBERT RONALD L , COLE ANDREW J , LEIGH FAWN A , PLOTKIN SCOTT R , THIELE ELIZABETH A
Published: December 2012

Aim  As relationships between autistic traits, epilepsy, and cognitive functioning remain poorly understood, these associations were explored in the biologically related disorders tuberous sclerosis complex (TSC), neurofibromatosis type 1 (NF1), and epilepsy.

Method  The Social Responsiveness Scale (SRS), a quantitative measure of autistic traits, was distributed to caregivers or companions of patients with TSC, NF1, and childhood‐onset epilepsy of unknown cause (EUC), and these results were compared with SRS data from individuals with idiopathic autism spectrum disorders (ASDs) and their unaffected siblings. Scores and trait profiles of autistic features were compared with cognitive outcomes, epilepsy variables, and genotype.

Results  A total of 180 SRS questionnaires were completed in the TSC, NF1, and EUC outpatient clinics at the Massachusetts General Hospital (90 females, 90 males; mean age 21y, range 4–63y), and SRS data from 210 patients with ASD recruited from an autism research collaboration (167 males, 43 females; mean age 9y, range 4–22y) and 130 unaffected siblings were available. Regression models showed a significant association between SRS scores and intelligence outcomes (p<0.001) and various seizure variables (p<0.02), but not with a specific underlying disorder or genotype. The level of autistic features was strongly associated with intelligence outcomes in patients with TSC and epilepsy (p<0.01); in patients with NF1 these relationships were weaker (p=0.25). For all study groups, autistic trait subdomains covaried with neurocognitive comorbidity, with endophenotypes similar to that of idiopathic autism.

Interpretation  Our data show that in TSC and childhood‐onset epilepsy, the severity and phenotype of autistic features are inextricably linked with intelligence and epilepsy outcomes. Such relationships were weaker for individuals with NF1. Findings suggest that ASDs are not specific in these conditions.
Topography of brain damage in metabolic hypoglycaemia is determined by age at which hypoglycaemia occurred
Authors: GATAULLINA SVETLANA , LONLAY PASCALE DE , DELLATOLAS GEORGES , VALAYANNAPOULOS VASSILI , NAPURI SILVIA , DAMAJ LÉNA , TOUATI GUY , ALTUZARRA CECILA , DULAC OLIVIER , BODDAERT NATHALIE
Published: December 2012

Aim  Having previously shown that comorbidity is a major determinant of neurological sequelae in hypoglycaemia, our aim was to describe the neuroimaging patterns of brain damage in different hypoglycaemic situations and to elucidate the factors that determine lesion topography.

Method  We reviewed 50 patients (31 females, 19 males) with symptomatic hypoglycaemia (<2.8mmol/L) occurring between 1 day and 5 years of age (median 4d) who had undergone magnetic resonance imaging (MRI; at least axial T2‐weighted, sagittal T1‐weighted, and coronal fluid‐attenuated inversion recovery [FLAIR]‐weighted imaging). MRI was performed during the follow‐up examination at least 1 month after the occurrence of symptomatic hypoglycaemia, i.e. between 1 month and 5 years of age (median 3mo). Hypoglycaemia resulted from three inborn errors of metabolism: congenital hyperinsulinism (33 patients), fatty acid β‐oxidation disorders (13 patients), or glycogen storage disease type I (four patients). We selected the patients with clear MRI abnormalities and analysed their topography according to aetiology and age at occurrence of the lesion.

Results  The topography of the brain lesions depended on age: from the neonatal period to 6 months of age, lesions predominantly involved the posterior white matter; between 6 and 22 months the basal ganglia, and after 22 months the parietotemporal cortex (p=0.04).

Interpretation  The relationship between brain lesions and age could reflect the maturation sequence of the brain.
Mate‐finding allee effect in spruce budworm population dynamics
Authors: Régnière Jacques , Delisle Johanne , Pureswaran Deepa S. , Trudel Richard
Published: December 2012

Allee effects can cause populations to decline due to decreasing population growth rates with decreasing density and play a major role in population dynamics. Mate‐finding failure, a common mechanism contributing to demographic Allee effects, is usually difficult to demonstrate because of the arduous nature of sampling individuals at very low densities. In a rising outbreak of the eastern spruce budworm, Choristoneura fumiferana (Clemens) (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae), we used caged and tethered virgin females in traps to measure mating success over population densities ranging from deep endemic to outbreak conditions. We found that mating success increased with increasing population density, and that at endemic population densities, females experienced difficulties attracting males and mating, demonstrating for the first time a mate‐finding Allee effect in the spruce budworm. The relationship between population density and mating success is nonlinear. As population density increased, the proportion of mated females eventually reached a plateau and mating success was not 100% even at the highest moth densities, probably due to female reluctance to mate and perhaps interference competition by males for access to females. Both laboratory‐reared and wild females were equally effective in synthesizing pheromone, attracting males, and mating. Our results strongly suggest that a mate‐finding Allee effect is involved in maintaining low‐density spruce budworm populations below an Allee threshold where they fail to grow. Factors such as changes in predation pressure and immigration could help populations overcome this Allee threshold.
Normalization of free light chain kappa/lambda ratio is a robust prognostic indicator of favorable outcome in patients with multiple myeloma
Authors: Iwama Kan‐ichi , Chihara Dai , Tsuda Kenji , Ugai Tomotaka , Sugihara Hiroyuki , Nishida Yuhki , Yamakura Masayuki , Takeuchi Masami , Matsue Kosei
Published: December 2012

Purpose

To clarify the impact of serum free light chain (sFLC) ratio normalization in patients with multiple myeloma (MM) treated with novel agents.

Patients and methods

Treatment response in 126 consecutive patients over 7 yr was assessed by IMWG criteria and sFLC assay.

Results

Thirty‐four patients (27%) showed complete response (CR), 37 (29%) very good partial response (VGPR), 39 (31%) partial response (PR), and 16 (13%) stable disease (SD) or less at a median follow‐up of 28 months. Fifty‐two patients (41%) with sFLC ratio normalization showed superior progression‐free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) compared to those who did not (3‐yr OS, 94% vs. 48%; P < 0.001). This favorable effect of sFLC ratio normalization occurred irrespective of high (>1000 mg/dL) or low (<100 mg/dL) baseline sFLC. Rates of normal sFLC ratio were as follows: CR, 69%; VGPR, 64%; PR, 16%; and SD or less, 0%. OS was significantly superior in patients with than without normal sFCL ratio in respective response groups. Although various factors (advanced age >70, high LDH, ISS stage 3) showed negative prognostic impacts on PFS and OS on univariate analysis, normal sFLC ratio and achievement of CR emerged as the strongest prognostic predictors for longer OS in MM patients on multivariate analysis.

Conclusions

This study demonstrated the significance of obtaining normal sFLC ratio independent of other clinical variables. Analysis of sFLC ratio could identify the favorable group of patients as well as immunofixation test and support the inclusion of sFLC ratio as part of the response criteria for MM.
Malaria infection increases bird attractiveness to uninfected mosquitoes
Authors: Cornet Stéphane , Nicot Antoine , Rivero Ana , Gandon Sylvain
Published: December 2012

The epidemiology of vector‐borne pathogens is largely determined by the host‐choice behaviour of their vectors. Here, we investigate whether a Plasmodium infection renders the host more attractive to host‐seeking mosquitoes. For this purpose, we work on a novel experimental system: the avian malaria parasite Plasmodium relictum, and its natural vector, the mosquito Culex pipiens. We provide uninfected mosquitoes with a choice between an uninfected bird and a bird undergoing either an acute or a chronic Plasmodium infection. Mosquito choice is assessed by microsatellite typing of the ingested blood. We show that chronically infected birds attract significantly more vectors than either uninfected or acutely infected birds. Our results suggest that malaria parasites manipulate the behaviour of uninfected vectors to increase their transmission. We discuss the underlying mechanisms driving this behavioural manipulation, as well as the broader implications of these effects for the epidemiology of malaria.
Roles of circadian clock genes in insect photoperiodism
Authors: Goto Shin G.
Published: December 2012

Functional involvement of a circadian clock in photoperiodism for measuring the length of day or night had been proposed more than 70 years ago, and various physiological experiments have supported the idea. However, the molecular basis of a circadian clock has remained veiled in insects. Nevertheless, our knowledge of the functional elements of a circadian clock governing circadian rhythmicity has advanced rapidly. Since both circadian rhythms and photoperiodism depend on the daily cycles of environmental changes, it is easy to assume that the same clock elements are involved in both processes. Recently, the RNA interference (RNAi) technique clarified that the molecular machinery of a circadian clock governing photoperiodism is identical to that governing circadian rhythmicity. Here, I review the theoretical background of photoperiodic responses incorporating a circadian clock(s) and recent progress on the molecular clockwork involved in photoperiodism in the bean bug Riptortus pedestris and other insect species. I have focused on the intense controversy regarding the involvement of a circadian clock in insect photoperiodism.
Comparison between hepatic resection and radiofrequency ablation as first‐line treatment for solitary small‐sized hepatocellular carcinoma of 3 cm or less
Authors: Imai Kastunori , Beppu Toru , Chikamoto Akira , Doi Koichi , Okabe Hirohisa , Hayashi Hiromitsu , Nitta Hidetoshi , Ishiko Takatoshi , Takamori Hiroshi , Baba Hideo
Published: December 2012

Aim

It is a matter of debate whether hepatic resection (HR) or radiofrequency ablation (RFA) should be preferred for the treatment of patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). The aim of this study is to compare the long‐term outcome between HR and RFA in patients with solitary small‐sized HCC.

Methods

One hundred and eighty‐three patients with solitary HCC of 3 cm or less who underwent either HR (n = 101) or RFA (n = 82) as a first‐line treatment were enrolled in this study. Their cumulative disease‐free and overall survival and prognostic factors were compared.

Results

The disease‐free and overall survival in the HR group were significantly better than those in the RFA group for HCC of 3 cm or less; the 5‐year disease‐free and overall survival rates were 46.8% versus 23.9% and 87.5% versus 59.4% (P = 0.0008, =0.0002), respectively. In the subgroup analysis, the disease‐free and overall survival in the HR group were significantly better than those in the RFA group for HCC of more than 2 cm (P < 0.0001, <0.0001, respectively), whereas there were no significant differences between the two groups for HCC of 2 cm or less. In patients treated with RFA, a tumor size of more than 2 cm was the only independent prognostic factor for disease‐free survival (risk ratio = 1.832, P = 0.039).

Conclusion

HR is proposed as the first‐line treatment for patients with solitary small‐sized HCC rather than RFA, especially for those with tumors in the range 2–3 cm.
The Prusso‐German Idea of War: The Values of a virtual Rogue State†
Authors: Moses John
Published: December 2012

The point of departure for this paper is the apparent unwillingness or inability of some Australian historians to comprehend the character of Wilhelmine Germany and her extensive war‐aims, 1914–18. Part of the explanation for this is the tendency to assess imperial Germany as just another 19th century imperialist power essentially indistinguishable from all others. As recent research shows Imperial Germany evinced many of the characteristics of a so‐called rogue state. Apart from a handful of Australian aficionados (who are identified) there are very few historians who can make a nuanced judgment of Bismarckian‐Wilhelmine German policy. Consequently, one often hears and reads very garbled and tendentious accounts of why Britain’s Pacific dominions were involved in the ‘Great War’. This paper explains the Bismarckian philosophy of both domestic and foreign policy and argues, along with many notable German historians that a great European conflict was already embedded in both the structures set in place by the famous Reich Chancellor and his style of conducting diplomacy based on the so‐called ‘bluff theory’ (Kurt Riezler). Thereby an explanation is provided as to how the understanding of the traditions andmentalitésof one Great Power in the ‘Age of Imperialism’ impacted on the history of remote outposts of a rival political culture, namely the British Pacific dominions.

This paper is based on a reading of the most recent as well as standard sources in both German and English.
Phylogeographic pointers to conservation needs: South Africa's flagship dung beetle, Circellium bacchus
Authors: Sole Catherine L. , Scholtz Clarke H.
Published: December 2012

Circellium bacchus is South Africa's largest ball‐rolling dung beetle and a habitat specialist of dense bush. It is also wingless, a rare phenomenon amongst large dung beetles and, unusual for the group, only females construct and bury brood balls. She cares for the single brood for 4–5 months, and lives for 3–5 years.

The beetles currently occur in two separate populations in South Africa, one in the south‐east and one consisting of at least eight fragmented sub‐populations in the south‐west. Here, we use both mitochondrial and nuclear DNA sequences to infer the evolutionary history of this species.

The Eastern and Western populations are genetically separated by 14% mitochondrial sequence divergence, sharing only a single nuclear haplotype. Mitochondrial and nuclear data indicate that C. bacchus belongs to an ancient (Eocene) relict lineage and that the Eastern and Western populations appear to have been separated by Pliocene continental uplift and a relictual Pleistocene block of temperate forest. Subsequent Plio‐Pleistocene climatic change caused further fragmentation of the Western population, now exacerbated by human‐induced land transformation.

The Eastern and Western populations are identifiable as two distinctly separate entities of possible species status, but with definite need for recognition as evolutionary significant units. The Western sub‐populations are genetically significantly different enough to be defined and recognised as management units. The Eastern population is largely distributed in the Addo Elephant National Park where its persistence is currently secure, but the sub‐populations of the Western lineage occur as fragments of various sizes in a matrix of agriculturally transformed landscape.
Productivity and population density estimates of the dengue vector mosquito Aedes aegypti (Stegomyia aegypti) in Australia
Authors: WILLIAMS C. R. , JOHNSON P. H. , BALL T. S. , RITCHIE S. A.
Published: December 2012

New mosquito control strategies centred on the modifying of populations require knowledge of existing population densities at release sites and an understanding of breeding site ecology. Using a quantitative pupal survey method, we investigated production of the dengue vector Aedes aegypti (L.) (Stegomyia aegypti) (Diptera: Culicidae) in Cairns, Queensland, Australia, and found that garden accoutrements represented the most common container type. Deliberately placed ‘sentinel’ containers were set at seven houses and sampled for pupae over 10 weeks during the wet season. Pupal production was approximately constant; tyres and buckets represented the most productive container types. Sentinel tyres produced the largest female mosquitoes, but were relatively rare in the field survey. We then used field‐collected data to make estimates of per premises population density using three different approaches. Estimates of female Ae. aegypti abundance per premises made using the container‐inhabiting mosquito simulation (CIMSiM) model [95% confidence interval (CI) 18.5–29.1 females] concorded reasonably well with estimates obtained using a standing crop calculation based on pupal collections (95% CI 8.8–22.5) and using BG‐Sentinel traps and a sampling rate correction factor (95% CI 6.2–35.2). By first describing local Ae. aegypti productivity, we were able to compare three separate population density estimates which provided similar results. We anticipate that this will provide researchers and health officials with several tools with which to make estimates of population densities.
Major dermatological malignancies encountered in the University of Calabar Teaching Hospital, Calabar, southern Nigeria
Authors: Asuquo Maurice E. , Ebughe Godwin
Published: December 2012

Background  Dermatologic malignancies are among the most common forms of cancer. Sun exposure is the major risk factor in white people, while non‐solar factors appear to be the leading risk factor in the darkly pigmented.

Methods  We examined 162 patients with histologic diagnosis of dermatological malignancy who consulted at the University of Calabar Teaching Hospital, Calabar from January 2000 to December 2009.

Results  The 162 patient cases observed during the study represent 12% of all cancers diagnosed within the same period. Squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) was the most common (n = 62; 38.3% followed by Kaposi sarcoma (KS) (n = 33; 30.9%). Others were malignant melanoma (MM) (n = 16; 9.9%), dermatofibrosarcoma protuberans (DFSP) (n = 11; 6.8%), and basal cell carcinoma (BCC) (n = 8; 4.9%). The lower limb was the most commonly afflicted site (n = 82; 48.8%) while the head and neck ranked second (n = 32; 22.0%); 146 patients (90%) were darkly pigmented and 16 (10%) were people with albinism. Some patients with SCC and MM consulted late for curative surgery. Surgery resulted in healing in patients with BCC, while the recurrent rate for DFSP was high. The endemic KS responded to cytotoxic chemotherapy but the result was poor for KS associated with human immunodeficiency virus.

Conclusion  The pattern of dermatologic malignancy revealed in this study is different from that of European skin cancer. Health education, early implementation of preventive measures, early consultation, and treatment will improve outcome in our region.
Prevalence of linea nigra in patients with benign prostatic hyperplasia and prostate carcinoma
Authors: Okeke Linus Ikechukwu , George Adekunle Olufemi , Ogunbiyi Adebola Olufunmilayo , Wachtel Mitchelle
Published: December 2012

Background  Linea nigra (LN) is linear hyperpigmentation occurring from the umbilicus to the pubic symphysis. Although commonly associated with pregnancy (when it is known as linea gravidarum), it has been found in normal male and female individuals, particularly in the younger age group where estrogen or lack of sensitivity of androgen receptors has been suggested as a possible factor. From a previous study the incidence of LN varied in different genders, age groups, and certain clinical status such as pregnancy and, in men, benign prostate hyperplasia (BPH)/prostate carcinoma (PC).

Objective  The need to get a clinical feature that can aid diagnosis of PC, the commonest male neoplasm in Nigeria, at an affordable cost prompted us to look at the incidence of LN in three male populations (i.e., one with BPH, one with PC, and a control population unaffected by these two conditions). Gynecomastia and female hair distribution, two features considered hormone related were looked for additionally in the study population. The study was carried out in a teaching hospital in Ibadan, southwestern Nigeria.

Results  LN was found in 48% of PC, 26% of BPH, and 8% of controls. Female pubic hair was found in 48% of PC, 26% of BPH, and 12% of controls. Gynecomastia was found in 36% of PC, 12% of BPH, and 0% of controls. Differences between patients with BPH, PC, and controls regarding incidence of LN and female pubic hair were deemed explicable by chance (P = 0.17, Fisher exact test). Differences between PC and BPH patients with respect to gynecomastia were deemed inexplicable by chance (P = 0.008, Fisher exact test).

Conclusion  LN alone cannot be used to differentiate PC and BPH. Further studies will be needed to characterize the role of LN in these conditions in men before and after treatment.
Religion and Civic Engagement in Muslim Countries
Authors: Sarkissian Ani
Published: December 2012

Previous studies of religion on civic and political participation focus primarily on Western Christian societies. Studies of Muslim societies concentrate on Islamic religiosity's effect on attitudes toward democracy, not on how Muslim religious participation carries over into social and political arenas. This article examines the relationship between religion and civic engagement in nine Muslim‐majority countries using data from the World Values Surveys. I find that active participation in Muslim organizations is associated with greater civic engagement, while religious service attendance is not. In a subset of countries, daily prayer is associated with less civic engagement. The main area in which Muslim societies differ from Western ones is in the lack of association between civic engagement, trust, and tolerance. Religious participation is a more significant predictor of secular engagement than commonly used “social capital” measures, suggesting a need to adapt measures of religiosity to account for differences in religious expression across non‐Christian faiths.
Religious Problem Solving and the Complexity of Religious Rationality Within an Iranian Muslim Ideological Surround
Authors: Ghorbani Nima , Watson P. J. , Saeedi Zoha , Chen Zhuo , Silver Christopher F.
Published: December 2012

Comparative rationality analysis formally examines the incommensurable social rationalities that theoretically exist within religions and the social sciences according to the ideological surround model (ISM) of the psychology of religion. This study extended these procedures to a new cultural context: 220 Iranian university students responded to the Religious Problem‐Solving Scales developed by Pargament et al. (1988).
As hypothesized, the Collaborative Problem‐Solving Style was consistent, and the Self‐Directing Style inconsistent, with Iranian Muslim religious and psychological adjustment. The Deferring Style had ambiguous implications. Comparative rationality analysis demonstrated that sample interpretations of these styles explained greater variance in adjustment than did the original scales. These procedures also yielded the unexpected discovery that the Deferring Style included a secular as well as a religious form of Iranian rationality. These data most importantly support the ISM claim that “future objectivity” requires empirical analyses of the incommensurable rationalities operating within the psychology of religion.
Family studies of individuals with eyelid myoclonia with absences
Authors: Sadleir Lynette G. , Vears Danya , Regan Brigid , Redshaw Natalie , Bleasel Andrew , Scheffer Ingrid E.
Published: December 2012

Purpose: Eyelid myoclonia with absences (EM) is an uncommon type of absence seizure associated with a variety of epilepsy syndromes. The syndrome of epilepsy with EM (EMA) has been proposed to denote the onset of frequent EM induced by eye closure and photic stimulation beginning in childhood. The clinical genetics of EMA has not been well characterized, although a family history of seizures is not infrequent.

Methods: Individuals with EMA were ascertained by referral and through the investigators’ clinical practices. All available family members were assessed for seizures using a validated seizure questionnaire. Electroclinical data were obtained on each proband and all affected family members; pedigrees were constructed. Families were analyzed for phenotypic patterns.

Key Findings: Eighteen individuals with EMA were recruited. A history of seizures was found in 34 relatives in 15 (83%) of 18 families. In terms of epilepsy syndromes, 9 relatives from 7 of 15 families had febrile seizures. Two relatives had EMA. Classical genetic generalized epilepsy (GGE) syndromes were seen in five relatives: two generalized tonic–clonic seizures alone, two childhood absence epilepsy (CAE), and one juvenile myoclonic epilepsy (JME). Genetic epilepsy with febrile seizures plus (GEFS+) phenotypes occurred in 16 relatives. On review of the epilepsy syndromes within each family, seven families had a pattern consistent with GEFS+, whereas three families had classical GGE.

Significance: The clinical genetics of EMA is suggestive of complex inheritance with shared genetic determinants overlapping with both classical GGE and GEFS+. The epilepsy syndromes in relatives of probands with EMA differ from those found in families of probands with CAE, supporting the concept that patients with EMA have a syndrome that is distinct from CAE. This presumably reflects different genetic components contributing to their genetic architecture.
DUX4 expression in FSHD muscle cells: how could such a rare protein cause a myopathy?
Authors: Tassin Alexandra , Laoudj‐Chenivesse Dalila , Vanderplanck Céline , Barro Marietta , Charron Sébastien , Ansseau Eugénie , Chen Yi‐Wen , Mercier Jacques , Coppée Frédérique , Belayew Alexandra
Published: December 2012

Facioscapulohumeral muscular dystrophy (FSHD) is one of the most frequent hereditary muscle disorders. It is linked to contractions of the D4Z4 repeat array in 4q35. We have characterized the double homeobox 4 (DUX4) gene in D4Z4 and its mRNA transcribed from the distal D4Z4 unit to a polyadenylation signal in the flanking pLAM region. It encodes a transcription factor expressed in FSHD but not healthy muscle cells which initiates a gene deregulation cascade causing differentiation defects, muscle atrophy and oxidative stress. PITX1 was the first identified DUX4 target and encodes a transcription factor involved in muscle atrophy. DUX4 was found expressed in only 1/1000 FSHD myoblasts. We have now shown it was induced upon differentiation and detected in about 1/200 myotube nuclei. The DUX4 and PITX1 proteins presented staining gradients in consecutive myonuclei which suggested a diffusion as known for other muscle nuclear proteins. Both protein half‐lifes were regulated by the ubiquitin‐proteasome pathway. In addition, we could immunodetect the DUX4 protein in FSHD muscle extracts. As a model, we propose the DUX4 gene is stochastically activated in a small number of FSHD myonuclei. The resulting mRNAs are translated in the cytoplasm around an activated nucleus and the DUX4 proteins diffuse to adjacent nuclei where they activate target genes such as PITX1. The PITX1 protein can further diffuse to additional myonuclei and expand the transcriptional deregulation cascade initiated by DUX4. Together the diffusion and the deregulation cascade would explain how a rare protein could cause the muscle defects observed in FSHD.