bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Tracing the origins of White Tip disease of Cirsium arvense and its causal agent, Phoma macrostoma
Authors: EVANS H C , SEIER M K , DERBY J‐A , FALK S , BAILEY K L
Published: October 2012

Cirsium arvense (Asteraceae) is known as creeping thistle in its native range in the UK and Canada thistle in its invasive North American range. Recently, the fungus Phoma macrostoma was registered in Canada as a bioherbicide in turfgrass, where it causes severe chlorosis (White Tip disease) and death of C. arvense and other broadleaved weeds. It was hypothesised that the disease originated in the UK on its thistle host and, therefore, that fungal isolates from both countries should be biologically and genetically similar. Twenty‐six strains in the genus Phoma– isolated during surveys in the UK – were compared morphologically with the type culture of P. macrostoma, tested for bioherbicidal activity using the inoculum mat bioassay and genetically screened with bioherbicide‐specific primers. White tip disease was found to be restricted to the eastern and southern counties of England. Phoma macrostoma was isolated consistently from diseased bleached tissues. Bioherbicidal isolates of P. macrostoma occupy a unique clade, which is phylogenetically distinct but morphologically indistinguishable from the type culture. Most isolates from the UK had the same bioherbicidal activity and similar genetic make‐up as strain SRC 94‐44B, the active ingredient in the registered Canadian product. The origin of all bioherbicidal strains found to date has a clear presence in both Canada and the UK, with strong genetic similarities, supporting the view of a common ancestry. Thus, on the evidence presented, the ‘white tip’ clade of P. macrostoma evolved in southern England. Therefore, the bioherbicide based on strain SRC 94‐44B should also be eligible for registration in the UK, based on the pest risk assessment data already available.
Acne treatment by methyl aminolevulinate photodynamic therapy with red light vs. intense pulsed light
Authors: Hong Jong Soo , Jung Jae Yoon , Yoon Ji Young , Suh Dae Hun
Published: October 2012

Various methods of photodynamic therapy (PDT) for acne have been introduced. However, comparative studies among them are still needed. We performed this study to compare the effect of methyl aminolevulinate (MAL) PDT for acne between red light and intense pulsed light (IPL). Twenty patients were enrolled in this eight‐week, prospective, split‐face study. We applied MAL cream over the whole face with a three‐hour incubation time. Then patients were irradiated with 22 J/cm2 of red light on one‐half of the face and 8–10 J/cm2 of IPL on the other half during each treatment session. We performed three treatment sessions at two‐week intervals and followed‐up patients until four weeks after the last session. Inflammatory and non‐inflammatory acne lesions were reduced significantly on both sides. The red light side showed a better response than the IPL side after the first treatment. Serious adverse effects after treatment were not observed. MAL‐PDT with red light and IPL are both an effective and safe modality in acne treatment. Red light showed a faster response time than IPL. After multiple sessions, both light sources demonstrated satisfactory results. We suggest that reducing the total dose of red light is desirable when performing MAL‐PDT in Asian patients with acne compared with Caucasians.
Vitamin D does not improve the metabolic health of patients with chronic kidney disease stage 3–4: A randomized controlled trial
Authors: Petchey William G , Hickman Ingrid J , Prins Johannes B , Hawley Carmel M , Johnson David W , Isbel Nicole M
Published: October 2012

Vitamin D supplementation did not reduce insulin resistance or decrease inflammation in people with stage 3–4 chronic kidney disease. Although a small study with only 25% of participants vitamin D‐insufficient at baseline, this study is the first randomized controlled trial to assess this effect in chronic kidney disease and importantly raised the vitamin D concentrations to supra‐sufficient levels still without positive effect.
Medical student education: what it costs and how it is funded
Authors: Goulston K. , Oates K. , Shinfield S. , Robinson B.
Published: October 2012

The cost to Sydney University to educate a medical student in 2010 was obtained by dividing the total teaching costs by the number of students. This showed the annual cost to educate one medical student was $53 093. Sixty‐one per cent comprised salaries. Fifty‐three per cent is met by Commonwealth funding and the Higher Education Loan Programme. Fees from international medical students contributed a margin of only 2% towards total education costs. The shortfall of 45% is provided from other sources within the university. This cross‐subsidisation may not be sustainable.
Percutaneous stone surgery using a tubeless technique with fibrin sealant: report of our first 107 cases
Authors: Gudeman Suzanne R. , Stroup Sean P. , Durbin Jason M. , Patino Guillermo , L'Esperance James O. , Auge Brian K.
Published: October 2012

Study Type – Therapy (case series)

Level of Evidence 4

What's known on the subject? and What does the study add?

Small case series support the safety and efficacy of tubeless PCNL with fibrin sealant. However, there is a paucity of data from larger case series supporting this approach.

To our knowledge, this is among the largest tubeless PCNL series. We found the use of fibrin sealant for tubeless PCNL was associated with excellent stone‐free rates (approaching 90%), short hospitalisation, and low complication rates. Tubeless PCNL with nephrostomy tract fibrin sealant appears to be viable option for appropriately select patients.

OBJECTIVE

To report on our first 107 cases of tubeless percutaneous nephrolithotomy (PCNL) using fibrin sealant as a haemostatic agent within the access tract. PCNL is the preferred treatment for patients with large renal stones, and the tubeless technique with the use of fibrin sealant has recently gained popularity.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

We performed a retrospective review of single‐access, PCNL cases performed without a nephrostomy tube from January 2002 to July 2008.

Nephrostomy tracts were sealed at the conclusion of each procedure with fibrin‐containing haemostatic agents.

We evaluated demographic variables, tracked complications, and compared pre‐ and postoperative haemoglobin, haematocrit and creatinine levels.

On postoperative day 1 computed tomography was used to determine stone‐free rates.

Student's t‐test calculations were used to determine statistical significance at P≤ 0.05.

RESULTS

In all, 59 men and 48 women with a mean age of 43 years were included in the analysis of 107 cases. The mean stone size was 2.9 cm2 and the average hospital stay was 1.07 days.

Pre‐ and postoperative changes in serum haemoglobin and serum creatinine were not statistically different. Postoperative haematocrit declined by a mean of 4.5% (P≤ 0.05), but no patients required a transfusion.

Stone‐free rates were 72% overall, and 90% when excluding patients with residual fragments of <4 mm.

Complications included seven asymptomatic subcapsular haematomas, one pseudoaneurysm requiring selective embolization, one urine leak, and five return visits to the emergency room for pain.

CONCLUSIONS

The use of fibrin sealant in this large tubeless PCNL series was associated with favourable stone‐free rates, short hospital stays, and low complication rates with no significant bleeding.

Tubeless PCNL with nephrostomy tract fibrin sealant appears to be a viable option for appropriately selected patients, but future randomised trials are warranted.
The impact of metabolic syndrome on long‐term outcomes of percutaneous nephrolithotomy (PCNL)
Authors: Akman Tolga , Binbay Murat , Erbin Akif , Tepeler Abdulkadir , Sari Erhan , Kucuktopcu Onur , Ozgor Faruk , Muslumanoglu Ahmet
Published: October 2012

Study Type – Prognosis (cohort)

Level of Evidence 2b

What's known on the subject? and What does the study add?

The presence of metabolic syndrome is associated with development of kidney stones and an increase in the stone‐recurrence rate. However, studies reporting long‐term results of percutaneous nephrolithotomy (PCNL) in metabolic syndrome are lacking.

The present study showed that metabolic syndrome was associated with worsening renal function at long‐term follow‐up and the stone‐recurrence rate recurrence after PCNL in patients with metabolic syndrome was 3.2‐fold higher compared with the control group.

OBJECTIVE

To investigate the impact of metabolic syndrome on long‐term kidney function and stone recurrence rates after percutaneous nephrolithotomy (PCNL).

PATIENTS AND METHODS

In all, 73 patients with metabolic syndrome who underwent stone analysis and had a minimum follow‐up of 12 months after PCNL were reviewed.

In addition, 73 patients without any metabolic syndrome components who had undergone PCNL and were followed‐up for at least 12 months were included in the study as the control group.

These control group patients were selected from 226 patients who were matched with the patients with metabolic syndrome using a 1 : 1 ratio. The matching parameters were age, gender and stone size.

RESULTS

Stone analyses showed that calcium oxalate monohydrate (52.0%) and uric acid (21.9%) were most common among patients with metabolic syndrome, whereas calcium oxalate monohydrate (76.7%) was the most common stone type in the control group.

Stone recurrences occurred with a mean (sd, range) of 36.1 (21.3, 12–109) months follow‐up in 26 patients (41.9%) and 12 patients (18.9%) in the metabolic syndrome and control groups, respectively (P= 0.003).

While estimated glomerular filtration rate was decreased from 87.8 to 66.6 mL/min/1.73 m2 in the metabolic syndrome group, it changed from 96.4 to 91.2 mL/min/1.73 m2 in control group at long‐term follow‐up.

CONCLUSIONS

The most frequent stone type was calcium oxalate monohydrate in patients with or without metabolic syndrome.

In patients with metabolic syndrome who underwent PCNL, the stone recurrence rate was >40%.

Metabolic syndrome is associated with worsening renal function at long‐term follow‐up.
Simultaneous implantation of bilateral ureters into bladder acellular matrix graft after partial cystectomy in a porcine model
Authors: Mitsui Yozo , Shiina Hiroaki , Hiraoka Takeo , Arichi Naoko , Yasumoto Hiroaki , Dahiya Rajvir , Tanagho Emil A. , Igawa Mikio
Published: October 2012

What's known on the subject? and What does the study add?

The process of bladder regeneration with a bladder acellular matrix graft (BAMG) is thought to be accelerated by administration of vascular endothelial growth factor into the host bladder.

In the present study, we showed that simultaneous implantation of bilateral ureters into a BAMG after a partial cystectomy is reasonable and provides an increased opportunity to the bio‐scaffold for communication with host tissues from which a blood supply and stem cells will be generated.

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate if the implantation of bilateral ureters into a bladder acellular matrix graft (BAMG) at the time of its implantation would enhance bladder regeneration in a partial substitution BAMG.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Partial cystectomies were performed under general anaesthesia in 12 pigs, followed by augmentation with a BAMG.

Six (ureteric implantation group) also received simultaneous implantation of bilateral ureters into the BAMG, while the remaining six (control group) did not have ureteric implantation.

In both groups, bladder regeneration was evaluated using endoscopic and histopathological methods at 1, 2, 4, and 8 weeks after implantation.

RESULTS

At 1 week after BAMG implantation, there were significant inflammatory changes on the host bladder in both groups, while no significant endoscopic changes were seen on the BAMG luminal surfaces.

At 2 weeks, inflammatory changes were diminished and epithelialisation on the BMAG was identified, especially near the host bladder in both groups.

Similarly, epithelialisation on the BAMG near the implanted ureters was seen in the ureteric implantation group.

At 4 and 8 weeks, epithelialisation remained in progress in both groups, although it was more active and expansive in the ureteric implantation group.

CONCLUSIONS

In our porcine model, endoscopic and histopathological examinations showed that simultaneous implantation of bilateral ureters into a BAMG enhanced epithelialisation of the AMG.

This new approach using host ureters and bladder as a potential source of bladder regeneration may provide for rapid and complete regeneration of a bladder substitute.
Microfinance institutions and a coastal community's disaster risk reduction, response, and recovery process: a case study of Hatiya, Bangladesh
Authors: Parvin Gulsan Ara , Shaw Rajib
Published: October 2012

Several researchers have examined the role of microfinance institutions (MFIs) in poverty alleviation, but the part that they play in disaster risk reduction remains unaddressed. Through an empirical study of Hatiya Island, one of the most vulnerable coastal communities of Bangladesh, this research evaluates perceptions of MFI support for the disaster risk reduction, response, and recovery process. The findings reveal no change in relation to risk reduction and income and occupation aspects for more than one‐half of the clients of MFIs. In addition, only 26 per cent of them have witnessed less damage as a result of being members of MFIs. One can argue, though, that the longer the membership time period the better the disaster preparedness, response, and recovery process. The outcomes of this study could help to guide the current efforts of MFIs to enhance the ability of coastal communities to prepare for and to recover from disasters efficiently and effectively.
A Spatiotemporal GIS Framework Applied to the Analysis of Changes in Temperature Patterns
Authors: Bothwell James , Yuan May
Published: October 2012

This research develops a new temporal Geographic Information System (GIS) framework and applies it to compare General Circulation Model (GCM) products and reanalysis datasets in order to discern differences in patterns and locations of change as a proof of concept. The proposed framework incorporates the concept of kinematics to represent the movement of isolines as advection displacement vectors. Comparison of displacement vectors from the four datasets shows differences in isotherm shifts for both median values and interquartile ranges along with several prominent, well defined difference regions across the globe. Among the four datasets used in the study, the two reanalysis datasets have the smallest median difference in displacement vectors indicating the least spatiotemporal difference. As both reanalysis datasets are based on actual observations, this result validates the displacement vector representation. The CNRM CM3 20C3M dataset contains an Antarctic Cooling that led to most of the differences in displacement vectors against the other datasets. The research shows the effectiveness of GIS enabled displacement vectors analysis to elicit spatial differences in climate patterns among GCM data and reanalysis data. While temperature data were used in the case study, the proposed method is based on concepts applicable to other isolines of geographic variables (such as isobars or isohyets).
Trajectories of Moving Objects on a Network: Detection of Similarities, Visualization of Relations, and Classification of Trajectories
Authors: Sadahiro Yukio , Lay Raymond , Kobayashi Tetsuo
Published: October 2012

Development in techniques of spatial data acquisition enables us to easily record the trajectories of moving objects. Movement of human beings, animals, and birds can be captured by GPS loggers. The obtained data are analyzed by visualization, clustering, and classification to detect patterns frequently or rarely found in trajectories. To extract a wider variety of patterns in analysis, this article proposes a new method for analyzing trajectories on a network space. The method first extracts primary routes as subparts of trajectories. The topological relations among primary routes and trajectories are visualized as both a map and a graph‐based diagram. They permit us to understand the spatial and topological relations among the primary routes and trajectories at both global and local scales. The graph‐based diagram also permits us to classify trajectories. The representativeness of primary routes is evaluated by two numerical measures. The method is applied to the analysis of daily travel behavior of one of the authors. Technical soundness of the method is discussed as well as empirical findings.
Measuring Dynamic Interaction in Movement Data
Authors: Long Jed A. , Nelson Trisalyn A.
Published: October 2012

The emergence of technologies capable of storing detailed records of object locations has presented scientists and researchers with a wealth of data on object movement. Yet analytical methods for investigating more advanced research questions from such detailed movement datasets remain limited in scope and sophistication. Recent advances in the study of movement data has focused on characterizing types of dynamic interactions, such as single‐file motion, while little progress has been made on quantifying the degree of such interactions. In this article, we introduce a new method for measuring dynamic interactions (termed DI) between pairs of moving objects. Simulated movement datasets are used to compare DI with an existing correlation statistic. Two applied examples, team sports and wildlife, are used to further demonstrate the value of the DI approach. The DI method is advantageous in that it measures interaction in both movement direction (termed azimuth) and displacement. Also, the DI approach can be applied at local, interval, episodal, and global levels of analysis. However the DI method is limited to situations where movements of two objects are recorded at simultaneous points in time. In conclusion, DI quantifies the level of dynamic interaction between two moving objects, allowing for more thorough investigation of processes affecting interactive moving objects.
Finding Optimal Travel Routes with Uncertain Cost Data
Authors: Dean Denis J.
Published: October 2012

Geospatial data analysis techniques are widely used to find optimal routes from specified starting points to specified destinations. Optimality is defined in terms of minimizing some impedance value over the length of the route – the value to be minimized might be distance, travel time, financial cost, or any other metric. Conventional analysis procedures assume that impedance values of all possible travel routes are known a priori, and when this assumption holds, efficient solution strategies exist that allow truly optimal solutions to be found for even very large problems. When impedance values are not known with certainty a priori, exact solution strategies do not exist and heuristics must be employed. This study evaluated how the quality of the solutions generated by one such heuristic were impacted by the nature of the uncertainty in the cost database, the nature of the costs themselves, and the parameters used in the heuristic algorithm. It was found that all of these factors influenced the qualities of the solutions produced by the heuristic, but encouragingly, an easily controlled parameter of the heuristic algorithm itself played the most important role in controlling solution quality.
Symbiotic Production and Optimal Export Policy
Authors: Liang Wen‐Jung , Mai Chao‐Cheng , Wang Tzu‐Kai
Published: October 2012

This paper constructs a two‐country trade model to examine the optimal policies relating to the export of final and intermediate products under Cournot as well as Bertrand competition when firms engage in symbiotic production internationally. The paper shows that given linear demand for the final product, the optimal export policies are to tax the exports of both the final and intermediate goods under symbiotic production, regardless of whether firms engage in Cournot or Bertrand competition in the final good market, which is contrary to the conventional wisdom.
Mate attraction by male anurans in the presence of traffic noise
Authors: Cunnington G. M. , Fahrig L.
Published: October 2012

We previously found that males of two anuran species –Hyla versicolorandRana clamitans –alter their mating calls in response to traffic noise. To test whether these alterations compensate for an effect of traffic noise on mate attraction, we (1) recorded a male calling at a quiet site; (2) played traffic noise at the same male and recorded its altered call; (3) used these recordings to attract females to a trap at sites either with or without broadcast traffic noise. The calls produced without traffic noise attracted fewer females when they were played at sites with traffic noise than when they were played at sites without noise. However, the calls of the same individuals produced with traffic noise attracted as many females at sites with noise as at sites without noise, and they attracted as many females as did the call of the same male made without noise and played at sites without noise (the ‘natural’ situation). Therefore, for these species, traffic noise does not affect mate attraction; males change their calls to compensate for a potential effect of traffic noise on mate attraction. A third species –Bufo americanus –does not alter its call in response to traffic noise, and its call made in the absence or presence of traffic noise was equally able to attract females in the absence or presence of traffic noise, indicating that traffic noise does not negatively affect mate attraction. Therefore, it appears that traffic noise does not negatively affect mate attraction in these three species of anurans. We suggest that, if our results apply to anurans in general, the previously documented negative effects of roads on anuran populations are likely caused mainly by road mortality. If this is true, road mitigation for anurans should focus mainly on reducing this mortality.
The key host for an invasive forest pathogen also facilitates the pathogen's survival of wildfire in California forests
Authors: Beh Maia M. , Metz Margaret R. , Frangioso Kerri M. , Rizzo David M.
Published: October 2012

The first wildfires in sudden oak death‐impacted forests occurred in 2008 in the Big Sur region of California, creating the rare opportunity to study the interaction between an invasive forest pathogen and a historically recurring disturbance.

To determine whether and how the sudden oak death pathogen, Phytophthora ramorum, survived the wildfires, we completed intensive vegetation‐based surveys in forest plots that were known to be infested before the wildfires. We then used 24 plot‐based variables as predictors of P. ramorum recovery following the wildfires.

The likelihood of recovering P. ramorum from burned plots was lower than in unburned plots both 1 and 2 yr following the fires. Post‐fire recovery of P. ramorum in burned plots was positively correlated with the number of pre‐fire symptomatic California bay laurel (Umbellularia californica), the key sporulating host for this pathogen, and negatively correlated with post‐fire bay laurel mortality levels.

Patchy burn patterns that left green, P. ramorum‐infected bay laurel amidst the charred landscape may have allowed these trees to serve as inoculum reservoirs that could lead to the infection of newly sprouting vegetation, further highlighting the importance of bay laurel in the sudden oak death disease cycle.
Permanent raised beds improved soil structure and yield of spring wheat in arid north‐western China
Authors: He J. , McHugh A. D. , Li H. W. , Wang Q. J. , Li W. Y. , Rasaily R. G. , Li H.
Published: October 2012

In arid north‐western China, soil degradation, limited water and subsequent yield decline, largely as a result of excessive tillage and residue removal practices, are the main factors limiting further development of local agriculture. The effects of permanent raised beds (PRB), no‐till (NT) and traditional tillage (TT) on soil structure and yield were investigated in a wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) – maize (Zea mays L.) cropping system from 2004 to 2009 in the Hexi Corridor of Gansu Province, China. PRB and NT had more macro‐aggregates (>0.25 mm, +2.7%), a better distribution of pore size classes and improved hydraulic conductivity, whereas TT soils were dominated by micro‐aggregates and micro‐porosity. In PRB, soil bulk density decreased significantly by 6.3 and 7.0% for the 0‐ to 10‐cm and 20‐ to 30‐cm depths relative to TT. The PRB mean crop yields increased by 4.2% and water use efficiency improved by 21.3% compared with TT because of greater soil moisture and improved soil physical and chemical status. These improvements in soil properties, yield and water use are of considerable importance for soil regeneration, food security and sustainable agriculture in arid regions, such as north‐western China.
Semidefinite relaxation for linear programs with equilibrium constraints
Authors: Fampa Marcia H.C. , Melo Wendel A.X. , Maculan Nelson
Published: October 2012

In this paper, we present a semidefinite programming (SDP) relaxation for linear programs with equilibrium constraints (LPECs) to be used in a branch‐and‐bound (B&B) algorithm. The procedure utilizes the global optimal solution of LPECs and was motivated by the B&B algorithm proposed by Bard and Moore for linear/quadratic bilevel programs, where complementarities are recursively enforced. We propose the use of the SDP relaxation to generate bounds at the nodes of the B&B tree. Computational results compare the quality of the bounds given by the SDP relaxation with the ones given by conventional linear programming relaxations.
‘In the heart, there’s nothing’: unruly youth, generational vertigo and territory
Authors: Smith Sara H
Published: October 2012

Young Ladakhis have grown up along disputed borders between Pakistan and China in India’s Jammu and Kashmir State. During their lifetimes, conflict in Kashmir and in their hometowns (between the Buddhist majority and Muslim minority) has highlighted the region’s geopolitical vulnerability; in words overheard in the schoolyard and kitchen, religion is always already political and territorial. This article traces how young Muslim and Buddhist Ladakhis in Ladakh’s Leh District are constituted as a category and site of territorial potential, and how the young people I spoke with navigate and elude this positioning. Their grandparents married across religious lines and their parents used family planning enthusiastically, but these practices are now political problems. Youth alternate between cynicism and hopeful visions of the future. Meanwhile, parents see education in distant urban centres as a path to a desired ‘modernity’, but also as a dangerous site where unruly love, lack of supervision and immorality might compromise religious identity. Building on geographies of young people and religion, and on anthropologies of the future, this research draws on two youth projects, a survey and interviews. I suggest that parents, political actors and religious leaders conceive of the young as crucial to the constitution of future territories. This makes their bodies a site of intense anxiety and regulation, as well as hope and potential. Beyond this case study, I offer the concept of generational vertigo, a mixture of apprehension and anticipation regarding the future, and suggest that attending to how and why this vertigo is manifest provides a way to think through relationships between young people, time and territory. The future is located in the volatile bodies of young people; hence the desire to defend territory and shape the future is manifest in attempts to manage the potential of these bodies.
The understanding of a woman: Vittoria Colonna and Michelangelo's Christ and the Samaritan Woman
Authors: Barnes Bernadine
Published: October 2012

This article presents a new contextualization and interpretation of Michelangelo's composition, Christ and the Samaritan Woman, which was made for Vittoria Colonna around 1542. Known only through copies, it is an unusual representation of the theme, which eschews commentary on the sexuality or arrogance of the woman and instead includes elements that point to the woman's role in leading others to Christ. By reconsidering Colonna's own statements on the Samaritan woman and parallels found in Bernardino Ochino's comments, I argue that the design reflects the way Colonna positioned herself as a person of incomplete understanding who could still be saved through a direct encounter with Christ's words. The theme had particular resonance around 1542 when Italian reformers like Colonna faced increasing scrutiny from the Church. Indeed Colonna's interest in the subject may be a response to Ochino's flight from Italy in the face of threats from the Church.
Comparison of maternal abdominal subcutaneous fat thickness and body mass index as markers for pregnancy outcomes: A stratified cohort study
Authors: Suresh Ashwin , Liu Anthony , Poulton Alison , Quinton Ann , Amer Zara , Mongelli Max , Martin Andrew , Benzie Ronald , Peek Michael , Nanan Ralph
Published: October 2012

Background

Obesity in pregnancy is associated with a number of adverse outcomes. The effects of central versus general obesity in pregnancy have not been well established.

Aim

To compare subcutaneous fat thickness (SFT) with body mass index (BMI) as a marker for pregnancy outcomes.

Methods

A stratified retrospective cohort study was performed on 1200 pregnancies, selected from a total of 4862 nulliparous, nonsmoking women between 2006 and 2010. SFT was measured on routine ultrasound at 18–22 weeks gestation. BMI and SFT measurements were compared for estimating risks for obesity‐related pregnancy outcomes using logistic regression adjusted for maternal age.

Results

The median SFT was 18.2 mm (range 6.3–50.9 mm), the median BMI was 23.8 kg/m2 (range 15.2–52.5), and the correlation between SFT and BMI was 0.53. For every 5 mm increase in SFT and every 5 kg/m2 increase in BMI, the odds ratios for developing gestational diabetes mellitus were 1.40 (CI 1.22–1.61, P < 0.001) and 1.16 (CI 0.95–1.40, P = 0.1), for caesarean section 1.28 (CI 1.16–1.40, P < 0.001) and 1.16 (CI 1.05–1.28, P = 0.003), large for gestational age 1.28 (CI 1.16–1.47, P = 0.001) and 1.10 (CI 0.95–1.28, P = 0.16) and cumulative adverse obesity‐related pregnancy outcomes 1.16 (CI 1.10–1.28, P = 0.002) and 1.05 (CI 0.95–1.16, P = 0.45), respectively.

Conclusion

SFT at 18–22 weeks gestation is better than BMI as a marker for obesity‐related pregnancy outcomes. As SFT is considered a surrogate measure for visceral fat, these results suggest that central obesity is a stronger risk factor than general adiposity in pregnancy.
Enhanced shear‐induced platelet aggregation due to low‐temperature storage
Authors: Montgomery Robbie K. , Reddoch Kristin M. , Evani Shankar J. , Cap Andrew P. , Ramasubramanian Anand K.
Published: October 2012

Background

Refrigeration of platelets (PLTs) offers an attractive alternative to the currently practiced storage at room temperature since it may mitigate problems associated with bacterial contamination and extend storage lifetime. Refrigeration causes a number of biophysical and biochemical changes in PLTs and decreases PLT circulation time in vivo. However, the effect of refrigeration on PLT hemostatic functions under physiologic and pathophysiologic shear conditions has not been adequately characterized.

Study Design and Methods

Washed PLTs prepared from either fresh PLT‐rich plasma (PRP) or PRP stored at 4°C for 2 days was mixed with exogenous von Willebrand factor (VWF) and fibrinogen and sheared in a cone‐and‐plate viscometer. PLT aggregation, activation, and VWF binding after shear and glycoprotein (GP) Ibα receptor expression and ristocetin‐induced PLT agglutination were measured.

Results

PLTs stored at 4°C for 2 days aggregated significantly more than fresh PLTs particularly at high shear rates (10,000/sec), and this increase was independent of PLT concentration or suspension viscosity. Further, refrigerated PLTs showed a greater increase in GP Ibα–dependent PLT activation under shear and also bound more VWF than fresh PLTs. However, the GP Ibα expression levels as measured by three different antibodies were significantly lower in refrigerated PLTs than in fresh PLTs, and refrigeration resulted in a modest decrease in ristocetin‐induced PLT agglutination.

Conclusion

The combined results demonstrate that refrigeration increases PLT aggregation under high shear, but not static, conditions and also increases shear‐induced VWF binding and PLT activation. Clinically, enhanced shear‐induced PLT aggregation due to low temperature storage may be a beneficial strategy to prevent severe bleeding in trauma.
Measurement of the absolute immature platelet number reflects marrow production and is not impacted by platelet transfusion
Authors: Bat Taha , Leitman Susan F. , Calvo Katherine R. , Chauvet Donna , Dunbar Cynthia E.
Published: October 2012

Background

The ability to distinguish increased platelet (PLT) destruction from PLT hypoproduction is important in the care of patients with marrow failure syndromes and patients receiving high‐dose chemotherapy. The measurement of immature circulating PLTs based on RNA content using an automated counter is now feasible. This study evaluated the impact of recent PLT transfusion on measurement of immature PLT variables.

Study Design and Methods

The immature PLT fraction (IPF) and absolute immature PLT number (AIPN) were measured using a hematology analyzer before and after PLT transfusion in nine transfusion‐dependent patients with marrow failure secondary to aplastic anemia, myelodysplasia, or transplantation conditioning. IPF and AIPN were also measured serially over 5 days of storage in three plateletpheresis components collected from normal donors.

Results

PLT transfusion did not significantly change the mean AIPN in transfused patients. In contrast, IPF decreased significantly from 6.6 ± 4.6% on Day −1 to 2.3 ± 1.4% on Day 0 before returning to 4.3 ± 2.3% on Day +1. In the PLT component, AIPN and IPF% increased significantly over 5 days of storage, most likely due to an artifact of the staining and detection process for stored PLTs, no longer detected in vivo once the PLTs were transfused.

Conclusion

PLT transfusion decreases the IPF due to the resultant increase in circulating PLT count. However, PLT transfusion does not change the circulating AIPN, validating this assay as a reflection of ongoing PLT production by the marrow in various clinical settings, regardless of proximity to PLT transfusion.
Comparing the Foreign Aid Policies of Presidents Bush and Obama
Authors: Gibler Douglas M. , Miller Steven V.
Published: October 2012

Objectives

We compare the rhetoric and actual foreign economic aid disbursements of the Bush and Obama Administrations.

Methods

We use U.S. foreign aid data from 2001 to 2013 (expected) to test our propositions.

Results

Our analyses suggest strong similarities but also key differences between presidencies. First, both presidents used aid to encourage development and democracy but also ignored the human rights policies of recipient countries. We actually find human rights abuse to be positively correlated with aid receipts, even after controlling for wealth and regime type; changes in rights policies have no effect in data for either administration. Second, overall aid disbursements have not increased under President Obama in real or percentage terms, again despite campaign and inaugural promises to do otherwise. Finally, our analyses confirm the proposition that the Bush Administration favored those countries that supported the war in Iraq—the “Coalition of the Willing”—by providing them with substantially larger aid allocations than would otherwise be predicted.

Conclusions

The Obama Administration has seemingly reversed the unstated policy of aid payments for U.S. partnership by penalizing Coalition members with aid allocations far below the rates predicted for other, similar countries.
Malaria incidence and agricultural efficiency in Uganda
Authors: Badiane Ousmane , Ulimwengu John
Published: October 2012

The cost of accessing healthcare can be a major determinant of disease prevalence, which in turn has short‐ and long‐term welfare implications on poor households. In response, governments in developing countries often resort to subsidizing the cost of drugs, which, while perhaps easier to administer, may not always be the most effective way of addressing healthcare cost. In this regard, we analyze the impact of different types of household level health expenses on disease incidence and agricultural production efficiency. We use data from the 2006 Uganda National Household Survey, which covered approximately 7,400 households. The results suggest that a 10% increase in consultation, medicine, and hospitalization expenses would reduce malaria incidence respectively by 35.6%, 20.5%, and 21.3 %, which translates into a 1.1%, 0.6%, and 0.6 % decrease in agricultural inefficiency, respectively. The results indicate that helping poor households meet expenses for consultation through subsidies or eliminating consultation fees has a larger impact on malaria incidence and agricultural productivity among poor rural households than subsidizing the cost of medical drugs, the most common avenue chosen by developing country governments in the fight against the disease.
AN INTEGRAL THEORY OF FEMALE URINARY INCONTINENCE
Authors: Petros Peter E. Papa , Ulmsten Ulf I.
Published: October 2012

Abstract In this Theory paper, the complex interplay of the specific structures involved in female urinary continence are analyzed. In addition the effects of age, hormones, and iatrogenically induced scar tissue on these structures, are discussed specifically with regard to understanding the proper basis for treatment of urinary incontinence.

According to the Theory stress and urge symptoms may both derive, for different reasons from the same anatomical defect, a lax vagina. This laxity may be caused by defects within the vaginal wall itself, or its supporting structures i.e. ligaments, muscles, and their connective tissue insertions.

The vagina has a dual function. It mediates (transmits) the various muscle movements involved in bladder neck opening and closure through three separate closure mechanisms. It also has a structural function, and prevents urgency by supporting the hypothesized stretch receptors at the proximal urethra and bladder neck. Altered collagen/elastin in the vaginal connective tissue and/or its ligamentous supports may cause laxity. This dissipates the muscle contraction, causing stress incontinence, and/or activation of an inappropriate micturition reflex, (“bladder instability”) by stimulation of bladder base stretch receptors. The latter is manifested by symptoms of frequency, urgency, nocturia with or without urine loss.
PINCH TEST for DIAGNOSIS of STRESS URINARY INCONTINENCE
Authors: Petros Peter E. Papa , Ulmsten Ulf I.
Published: October 2012

Abstract This office test reinforces the Integral Theory of Female Urinary continence which states that there are two distinct anatomical segments of vagina which transmit the muscular contractions of the pelvic floor muscles, and in so doing, constitute the 1st and 2nd closure mechanisms. The test is based on tightening the loose vagina, hereby correcting the anatomical defects causing the stress incontinence. The Pinch Test, and with it, the Bonney Test, are analysed with reference to the 1st and 2nd closure mechanisms presented in the Theory of Female Urinary Incontinence described earlier in this issue.
THE AUTOGENIC LIGAMENT PROCEDURE: A TECHNIQUE FOR PLANNED FORMATION OF AN ARTIFICIAL NEO‐LIGAMENT
Authors: Petros Peter E. Papa , Ulmsten Ulf I. , Papadimitriou John
Published: October 2012

Abstract A new surgical principle which can safely result in the formation of an artificial neo‐ligament, and induce the adhesion of tissues is described. Under certain conditions, an implanted Mersilene tape may act as a template, provoking a controlled linear deposition of collagen which remained unchanged, even after removal of the tape. This was proven by retropubic implantation of Mersilene tapes in female dogs, in the position of the pubo‐urethral ligament. The procedure relies on the normally negative aspects of wound healing for its effect, such as foreign body reaction, bacterial colonization, and continued tissue breakdown and regeneration.
Modeling the climatic drivers of spatial patterns in vegetation composition since the Last Glacial Maximum
Authors: Blois Jessica L. , Williams John W. , Fitzpatrick Matthew C. , Ferrier Simon , Veloz Samuel D. , He Feng , Liu Zhengyu , Manion Glenn , Otto‐Bliesner Bette
Published: October 2012

Projecting the future composition and function of communities is a major challenge, and there is an urgent need to develop, improve, and test the predictive capacity of ecological models under different climate states. We tested the effect of climate on spatial patterns of plant community composition over the past 21 000 yr, focusing on whether the spatial relationships between environmental distance and compositional dissimilarity are stable over time. We used a network of fossil‐pollen sites in eastern North America, combined with paleoclimate simulations from the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM; 21 000 calibrated years before present, 21 kyr BP) to the present. We modeled relationships between climate, geography, and compositional dissimilarity at 1 kyr periods using generalized dissimilarity modeling (GDM) and determined the strongest predictors of compositional dissimilarity. We assessed the performance of models calibrated for one time period (e.g. 14 kyr BP) in predicting patterns in the same period as well as at other times (e.g. 12 kyr BP), and tested whether predictive performance was related to the magnitude of climate change between the calibration and prediction time periods. Finally, we examined whether pooling data from multiple time periods improved predictive performance. Models explained 32 to 51% of compositional dissimilarity between locations within any single time period. The best set of predictors changed across time, with summer temperature and geographic distance the strongest predictors of compositional dissimilarity for most time periods. Models built for one time period explained turnover during nearby time periods relatively well, but performance decayed across time and with increasing climate change. Results were similar regardless of whether models were projected forward or backward through time, and did not improve when data were pooled across time. GDM predicts well the spatial patterns of past compositional dissimilarity and holds promise for modeling the drivers of compositional dissimilarity across space and time. However, the modeled relationships between compositional turnover and environmental distance are non‐stationary, so caution is needed when predicting across periods of significant climatic change.
Structural insights into the common γ‐chain family of cytokines and receptors from the interleukin‐7 pathway
Authors: Walsh Scott T. R.
Published: October 2012

Over the past 13 years, numerous crystal structures of complexes of the common γ‐chain (γc) cytokine receptors and their cytokines have been solved. Even with the remarkable progress in the structural biology of γc receptors and their cytokines or interleukins, there are valuable lessons to be learned from the structural and biophysical studies of interleukin‐7 (IL‐7) and its α‐receptor (IL‐7Rα) and comparisons with other γc family members. The structure of the IL‐7/IL‐7Rα complex teaches that interfaces between the γc interleukins and their receptors can vary in size, polarity, and specificity, and that significant conformational changes might be necessary for complexes of interleukins and their receptors to bind the shared, activating γc receptor. Binding, kinetic, and thermodynamic studies of IL‐7 and IL‐7Rα show that glycosylation and electrostatics can be important to interactions between interleukins and their receptor, even where the glycans and charged residues are distant from the interface. The structure of the IL‐7Rα homodimer is a reminder that often‐ignored non‐activating complexes likely perform roles just as important to signaling as activating complexes. And last but not least, the structural and biophysical studies help explain and potentially treat the diseases caused by aberrant IL‐7 signaling.
Structural and dynamic control of T‐cell receptor specificity, cross‐reactivity, and binding mechanism
Authors: Baker Brian M. , Scott Daniel R. , Blevins Sydney J. , Hawse William F.
Published: October 2012

Over the past two decades, structural biology has shown how T‐cell receptors engage peptide/major histocompatibility complex (MHC) complexes and provided insight into the mechanisms underlying antigen specificity and cross‐reactivity. Here we review and contextualize our contributions, which have emphasized the influence of structural changes and molecular flexibility. A repeated observation is the presence of conformational melding, in which the T‐cell receptor (TCR), peptide, and in some cases, MHC protein cooperatively adjust in order for recognition to proceed. The structural changes reflect the intrinsic dynamics of the unligated proteins. Characterization of the dynamics of unligated TCR shows how binding loop motion can influence TCR cross‐reactivity as well as specificity towards peptide and MHC. Examination of peptide dynamics indicates not only peptide‐specific variation but also a peptide dependence to MHC flexibility. This latter point emphasizes that the TCR engages a composite peptide/MHC surface and that physically the receptor makes little distinction between the peptide and MHC. Much additional evidence for this can be found within the database of available structures, including our observations of a peptide dependence to the TCR binding mode and structural compensations for altered interatomic interactions, in which lost TCR‐peptide interactions are replaced with TCR‐MHC interactions. The lack of a hard‐coded physical distinction between peptide and MHC has implications not only for specificity and cross‐reactivity but also the mechanisms underlying MHC restriction as well as attempts to modulate and control TCR recognition.
Structural insights into activation of antiviral NK cell responses
Authors: Finton Kathryn A. , Strong Roland K.
Published: October 2012

Natural killer (NK) cells are key components of innate immune responses, providing surveillance against cells undergoing tumorigenesis or infection, by viruses or internal pathogens. NK cells can directly eliminate compromised cells and regulate downstream responses of the innate and acquired immune systems through the release of immune modulators (cytokines, interferons). The importance of the role NK cells play in immune defense was demonstrated originally in herpes viral infections, usually mild or localized, which become severe and life threatening in NK‐deficient patients . NK cell effector functions are governed by balancing opposing signals from a diverse array of activating and inhibitory receptors. Many NK receptors occur in paired activating and inhibitory isoforms and recognize major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class I proteins with varying degrees of peptide specificity. Structural studies have made considerable inroads into understanding the molecular mechanisms employed to broadly recognize multiple MHC ligands or specific pathogen‐associated antigens and the strategies employed by viruses to thwart these defenses. Although many details of NK development, signaling, and integration remain mysterious, it is clear that NK receptors are key components of a system exquisitely tuned to sense any dysregulation in MHC class I expression, or the expression of certain viral antigens, resulting in the elimination of affected cells.